This Little Light of Mine
by Maripics
Summary: When someone Kate loves asks her to take care of their child and flees, it's up to Caskett to take care of an abandoned little girl. Takes place in the middle of season 5, so Caskett is established.
1. Sunshine

Chapter One: Sunshine

**Author's Note: So, here I am, starting a new story. I've wanted to write this story for a long time, and since I have a week-long minication that started yesterday, I thought I'd give it a shot. For those of you who are reading TSA, I know it's been a while since I last updated, but the next chapter is in the works and I'm putting my heart and soul into it. Thanks for reading, and please review! **

Kate woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. With her eyes still closed, she stretched her arm to pick it up.

"Beckett." She answered. She felt rather stupid when she saw it wasn't an incoming call, but a text message. "Too soon." She clicked on the message icon and proceeded to read.

'_Dear Kate, I wish someday you'll be able to forgive me for what I'm about to do. I'm sorry I'm not strong enough, good enough. I hope you'll be able to do what I'm asking you to do, even though it's way too much to ask. For your bravery, your kindness, and your amazing heart, I see you as the only person I can trust. I'm leaving, Kate. The pain is too much for me. Billy's death, the sudden loss of my job… I just cannot handle this world anymore. I fear that you'll refuse my request, and if you do, please don't feel guilty. I won't blame you. But I shall part, and leave Quinn behind. I'm asking you, Kate. I'm asking you with all of my heart. Please take care of her. She's not to blame for all the tragedy that struck our family. Please, take care of my daughter. Love, Maddie._'

Kate blinked furiously. Did she just read that? It couldn't be. Maddie was doing a prank, right? She wouldn't leave her one-year old daughter behind. She couldn't.

"Kate? Why are you up?" Rick glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was a little after five.

"I… Maddie sent me a text." Kate was still in shock. Her phone was being squeezed by her right hand, and she was looking at nowhere. Her head was spinning. What if that was a serious text? What would she do? She knew Maddie didn't have any family, so if she was indeed planning to leave, the next closest person was herself.

"Kate, what's wrong?" Rick was now fully awake and sitting next to Kate on the bed. The only light they could see was the one coming from her phone. "Kate, tell me what's wrong."

Without saying anything, Kate passed him the phone, the text still open.

"What's this?" It took Rick some effort to read the text. When he did manage to do so, he became just astonished as Kate. Now they were two, sitting on his bed staring at nothing. "Kate?" He asked after a couple of minutes.

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do?" Her face was completely blank. He'd never seen her like that before. She was Kate Beckett, and normally, nothing could touch her. He didn't know what was scarier.

"We?" Kate asked him, noting the use of the word.

"I won't leave you alone in this." He reached for her hand. "I'm here for you, Kate. Always."

"Thank you." She planted a soft kiss on his lips. Her head was still spinning, and she knew she had to do something about that text. "I think we should call her. Perhaps it's just a joke." She said, without any conviction whatsoever. She knew Maddie well enough to know that wasn't her kind of humor. A million thoughts went through her mind. When her husband, Billy, died just a month after Quinn was born, Maddie was in a very dark place. But she stood strong for Quinn. But a month ago, when she lost her job, Kate knew the situation was becoming too much for her to bear. But this? She didn't think Maddie would give up.

"Okay." He handed her the phone "Call her."

Kate dialed Maddie's number. She pressed the speaker button and placed the phone on the spot in the middle of them.

'_Hello, you reached Madison Queller-Richards. I can't answer you right now, but please leave a message after the beep. Beep._'

"Shit." Kate pressed the redial button to try again.

'_Hello, you reached Madison Queller. I can't answer you right now, but please leave a message after the beep. Beep._'

"Oh crap." Rick said, his voice low. "What now?"

"I'm going to call her house." Kate scrolled down her list of contacts until she found 'Maddie-Home' and pressed it.

"Hello?" A woman answered. Kate thought she should be young.

"Hello, this is Kate Beckett, I need to speak to Madison." She said, her voice cracking.

"Mm, this is Hannah, I'm the babysitter. Ms. Richards told me you'd call. She said you should come over, there's an envelope here for you." The young woman said, her voice as calm as could be. She probably didn't know anything.

"Mhm, okay, thank you. I'll stop by to get it later." Kate said.

"Do you think you could come now? I should have gotten home at eleven pm, but I couldn't leave Quinn here alone." Hannah asked.

"Yeah, sure." Kate said, completely confused. That wasn't Maddie. Leaving her daughter with a sitter for the entire night? Dear God, that was a nightmare.

"Thank you."

"So?" Rick asked.

"I need to go to Maddie's house now. The sitter needs to leave." Kate wasn't thinking. She was still in complete and utter shock.

"I'll be ready in five." Rick said, jumping off the bed, and going straight to the bathroom.

"Castle?"

"What?"

"Thank you." Rick smiled back at Kate before entering the bathroom.

…

"Hi." Hannah said, opening the door with the small child in her arms. She looked exhausted. Her blonde hair was tied back in a messy bun, her gray t-shirt had awful stains in it and her black yoga pants had Cheerios stuck on it. Noticing their looks, Hannah said "It was a rough night. She missed Mrs. Richards."

"I'm sorry to hear." Rick said, noticing that Kate was still to shocked to say anything. "How much does she owe you?"

"Nothing. It was paid already." Hannah said, giving them a compassionate smile.

"But…"

"It's paid. I need to go now. Thanks for coming so quickly." Hannah passed Quinn to Rick's arms and picked up her purse. "Goodbye." She said as she walked out the door.

"Did she really just give the baby to two complete strangers?" Rick asked, amazed. He was pretty sure that wasn't appropriate. "Kate?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"No. Let's find that envelope, shall we?" Kate looked at the kitchen counter and saw a camel envelope. She walked towards it, and opened.

Rick was now rocking Quinn in his arms, trying to get her to sleep.

"That's it." Kate was still holding the sealed envelope.

"Open it, Kate."

'_I, Madison Elyse Queller-Richards, grant full guardianship of my child, Quinn Amelia Richards to her godmother, Katherine Johanna Beckett. Katherine Beckett will have all powers and authority that I would have if I were present. Katherine Beckett has full rights to act as the guardian of Quinn Richards, now until she reaches majority. _

_Madison Richards. _

_Edward A. Davenport, Civil Lawyer.' _

"Shit." They both said, in unison.

**Author's Note: So, watcha think? Is it good? Bad? Review, please! **


	2. Bright

Chapter Two: Bright

"This is it." Kate set the letter on the counter. "I'm screwed"

"No, Kate…"Rick tried. Quinn was now asleep on his arms, her head rested on his chest. The little girl was one of the cutest things he'd ever seen. She had big blue eyes – much like his – and curly brown hair. He caressed her small back softly.

"Where is she, Castle? We need to find her." Kate was now out of her shocked state. She was angry. No, she was furious. How could Maddie do this to Quinn? To her?

"I don't know. It's going to be okay, Kate. I know it." Rick placed his hand on the small of her back. "It's going to be alright." Just when he said it, they heard her phone ring.

"Beckett." She answered, still standing close to Rick. "What? Okay, we're on our way." She pressed the _end _button and stared at him. "We have to go. Uniforms found a young woman dead in her car near the Hudson River. They're thinking it was a suicide."

"So why do we have to go?" Rick asked, puzzled.

"Espo thinks it might be Maddie." Kate said, and he watched as her face went blank one more time.

"Does he know about…?" Rick gestured at the child sleeping on his arms.

"No. They went out a couple of times, so he knows her fairly well. That's why he called." Kate answered. "Let's go."

"Kate, aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

"Quinn, Kate. We can't take her to the scene. Her dead mother and all."

"Shit. What do we do?" Kate asked, grabbing her purse.

"You go. I'll stay here." Rick looked around. The house was a complete mess. There was food scattered all over the kitchen floor, and clothes and toys everywhere else. "Or maybe go back to the loft. We'll be much more comfortable there."

"You sure this is okay? You don't have to."

"Yes. Go. See if Espo is right. If it is, come straight to the loft. We'll have a lot to talk about." He gave her a passionate kiss.

"Thank you, thank you, and thank you. You'll be properly rewarded." She said, giving him a playful smirk.

"Bye."

…

"Put on a great big smile, Make up your eyes with laughter, Folks will be laughing with you in a little while, Whistle a tune of gladness, Blue never was in style, The future's brighter when hearts are lighter, So smile smile smile." Rick sang, rocking Quinn on his arms. The little girl had been crying for the last hour, and he was starting to get worried. When she finally closed her eyes, Rick sighed with relief and finished "Future's brighter, hearts are lighter, when you're wearing a great big smile" he put the little girl down on his bed, surrounded by pillows. He smiled at the sight and left the room, turning the lights off.

"Castle?" Kate shouted, entering the house. She quickly kicked off her shoes and took off her coat.

"Shhh." Rick shooshed her. "Quinn is asleep."

"Ooh, sorry." She set down her purse and looked at Rick.

"So? Was it Maddie?" Rick asked. He didn't know which answer he wanted. If she was dead, Quinn was now an orphan. If she was alive, they'd have to deal with tons of paperwork, lawyers, courts, or even having Maddie want Quinn back. He wouldn't say anything, but he wanted another child. Perhaps that was the universe saying he should have the much wanted second child. He wasn't sure Kate would ever want that, but facing such reality, he was somewhat happy. But all of those wishes didn't matter. He was falling in love with Quinn, and fast.

"It was." Kate said. She walked over to the couch and sat down, cross-legged. "Her lawyer approached me." She hugged a pillow. "Edward Davenport. The letter was signed by him." Rick sat next to her on the couch, and reached for her hand. She squeezed his hand, and gave him a shy smile. "It's real. The custody. Quinn is my responsibility now."

"Oh my God, Kate." Rick turned around and gave her a warm hug.

"Yeah… It's a lot."

"What are you thinking? I mean…"

"You mean what I plan on doing." Kate completed "Castle, I can't leave her to the system. I just can't." Kate said, tears forming on her eyes. "Maddie trusted me with her daughter, Rick. She couldn't handle her own life, and she asked me to take care of the only thing she had. I just can't deny that." Tears were now flowing freely through her face.

"I know, Kate. I know." He said, and hugged her again.

"Castle, if this is too much…" Kate said, separating their bodies but keeping herself in his arms.

"No, Kate. Don't even try. We're gonna do this, and we're gonna do it together." Rick said, still keeping her close. He planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"Thanks, Castle. I know this is a lot. And I appreciate it. Really." Kate said, also giving him a kiss, but this time a much more passionate one. Before they could do anything else, they heard a soft cry. "Ugh. I guess this is how it's gonna be like from now on."

"It gets better." He said, getting up from the couch. "Let's get the little one to sleep. Maybe later we can continue with…" he crouched next to the couch and kissed her again "This."

"Alright, stud. Let's get Quinn to sleep." Kate said, grabbing his hand and leading the way towards his bedroom.

**Author's Note: Oh my god. Your responses were amazing. I can't believe you're enjoying this as much as I am. The reviews, alerts and everything else have been incredible. You guys motivated me so much more than you think. Thank you so much, and please continue to read and review. Thanks! **


	3. You Are My Sunshine

Chapter Three: You Are My Sunshine

"Castle, stop that." Kate said. The three of them were standing outside the courtroom, sitting on a bench. Castle was making funny faces at Quinn, making the little girl laugh like there was no tomorrow. Everyone stared at them as they passed by. In a usually serious environment, the sight of an adorable, green-dress clad little girl laughing hysterically on a man's arms was quite the sight. "Castle, everyone is staring."

"Well, it's either that or she'll scream. Pick your poison, dear." Rick said, mocking her. Quinn was sitting on his lap, still laughing. Her hair was tied up in two pigtails, and her blue eyes looked a lot like Rick's.

"Fine. Just keep it down, okay? Edward should be here in about ten minutes, and then we'll get in."

"And do you know what will happen?" Rick asked. He'd stopped making funny faces, partially 'because he was tired, partially 'because Quinn had lost interest in them.

"He didn't say much, but from what I understand, we'll come inside, they'll re-read Maddie's letter, and if they judge it to be true, which they probably will, since the letter was properly signed, they'll grant me custody."

"Just like that?"

"I think so."

"Detective Beckett. Mr. Castle. Hello." Edward Davenport said, suddenly appearing next to them. "Are you ready to come in?"

"Yeah. Can Castle come in too?" Kate asked, standing up from the bench. Rick was still seated, and still held Quinn on his lap.

"Sure. They expect you to bring someone in to help with the child. Do you have all the documents with you?"

"Yes. Social security number, ID, my taxes, my house address, numbers, bank account balance and even a letter from Captain Gates." Kate said, taking a big envelope off her purse. "Here it is."

"Okay, hold on to that. Come on, let's go."

…

"I grant full custody of the child, Quinn Amelia Richards, to Katherine Johanna Beckett." Judge Harris gave the final word.

"Thank you." Davenport said. "You three can go home now. I'll call you later, detective. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Kate said, still unsure about her feelings. "Ready?"

"Yes." Rick answered. "I think we should stop somewhere, though."

"Where?"

"Perhaps a superstore or a Babies 'R' Us. She needs stuff, you know? She can't live off Alexis old baby clothes and toys for long."

"What else would she need?" Kate sounded confused.

"A lot." He chuckled. She had no idea. "But she probably has everything at home. Should we go to Maddie's apartment and get her things?"

"Not possible. Maddie specifically asked that everything in her house was donated to charity. There is nothing left."

"Really?"

"Nothing besides a small box she left for Quinn. A few photos, a necklace and a letter."

"So we must go shopping. I'll drive."

"Fine. Come on."

…

"Okay, what on earth is that?" Kate asked, picking up a breast pump from the shelf.

"That's a breast pump." Rick was pushing a cart, which had nothing but a small plush bear dressed as a police officer and Quinn, who was sitting at the chair frame.

"What is that for?" Kate asked, still confused.

"To pump milk. So you can freeze it, or bottle it."

"Ew." Kate said, putting the breast pump back on the shelf. The whole motherhood thing still scared her, but the fact that Quinn was no longer a baby made things a little bit easier.

"Oooh, that is so cool." Rick said, touching a spaceship-like stroller. It had a small round capsule in the middle, and the frame was completely rotatable. It even had lights on the front.

"She's one, Castle. No need for a stroller."

"Oh, love. Have you seen the walking speed on a one-year old? We do need a stroller, and it's gotta be this one." Rick picked up a tag on the side of the stroller, which indicated payment at the checkout, and then they would have the actual stroller.

"How much is it?" Kate's eyes widened as she looked at the price tag. "1099.99 dollars? Castle, that is insane!"

"It's uh… awesome. We need that thing." He gave her his best puppy dog look.

"You're paying for it." She said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Thank you." He planted a kiss on her cheek.

….

The rest of the shopping trip went relatively well, with occasional discussions over the price of certain "needs".

"I think that was the last box, Mr. Castle." William, the doorman said. The loft's living room was filled with all kinds of boxes and bags, containing the most various items. Clothes, toys, and all kinds of baby things were ready to be unpacked.

"Thank you, William." Rick gave the younger man a $50 dollar bill and smiled at him.

"Thanks, Mr. Castle." William nodded and left the loft.

"This is insane. You are insane." Kate said. She was now holding a half-asleep Quinn in her arms. "There is no way we're gonna need all of these things."

"Okay, Kate. I've heard enough of that. Now tell me, what's your plan?"  
"My plan?" Kate asked.

"Living arrangements." Rick said, giving her his most biased look.

"What's your real question, Castle?" Kate asked, giving him a playful smirk.

"Well detective, my real question is…" Rick approached her and said, in a low voice "when will you quit playing hard to get and will move in with me?" He started kissing her neck softly.

"Mmm. Stop… Let me put Quinn down." Kate moaned.

"Will you answer my question then?"

"Anytime, Castle, anytime."

"We'll start packing your apartment tomorrow, Kate." He said, unpacking the portable crib they bought. "And then, you'll finally be home. We all will."

**Author's Note: You have no idea how much your reviews mean to me. I love them all, good or bad, and I'm always open to suggestions. Please keep reading and reviewing! **


	4. Warmth

Chapter Four: Warmth

"Castle." Kate said, still asleep "Castle." She said again, and started poking him softly. "Rick!" she tried one more time, this time a little louder.

"What?" Rick said, without turning around or opening his eyes.

"Quinn is up. It's your turn." Kate said, turning around to go back to sleep. It was a little before five, and the second time Quinn had woken up that night.

"How can it be my turn when I was the one to go last time?" He asked, annoyed.

"Just go, Castle." She said, kicking him off the bed.

"Not fair." Rick jumped off the bed and put his slippers and robe on. As he approached the small portable crib Quinn was sleeping in, he noticed that her cries were getting softer and softer. "What's wrong, Quinnie?" he asked, even though he knew he wouldn't get an answer He picked her up from the crib, and looked at her face. It was red and puffy, as if she had been crying all night long. She was clutching the teddy bear they'd bought her, and was sucking on her pacifier nervously. "Baby, what's going on?" he asked.

"Momma." Quinn answered, with the pacifier still in her mouth. When she was about to start crying again, Rick hugged her tight.

"Shh, don't cry." He was still holding her tight. "Don't cry. How about I warm you some milk and tell you a story? How does that sound." The little girl nodded and Rick carried her to the kitchen. He was heartbroken. That little girl had lost everything. Her dad, her mom, her life. She was just one, for God's sake. "Here you go." He said as he handed her a sippy cup with warm milk in it. He watched as she drank the liquid slowly. "Good?"

"Mhm." Quinn murmured.

"Okay, let's get to that story." Rick picked her up from the counter she was sitting in and carried her to the living room. He sat down on the couch and settled her on his lap. "Once upon a time, there was a little family of bears…" he started. Quinn was looking deeply at him, her blue eyes glazing his. "Papa bear was far, far away, in the woods. Mama bear loved the baby bear very very much, but soon realized she'd have to go to the woods too, and soon. The baby bear, named…" he looked down at the adorable little girl sitting on his lap. She was wearing butterfly footed pajamas and still held the teddy bear. "Quinn." He smiled at her. "Also loved her mama very much, and was very sad when she left." He proceeded "But, mama bear was very clever, so she left a very nice bunny to take care of Quinn. That bunny's name, was Katie." Quinn was still very much interested in his story, and would poke his chest whenever he would pause the storytelling. "When mama bear left for the woods, Katie had to come and get Quinn. But she wasn't alone. She had the help of a very nice…" he stopped for a second to think which animal he was "Silly monkey." He made a funny face at her, causing her to laugh "Then, Quinn, Katie and the silly monkey became a family, just like the little family of bears. And they lived happily ever after." Quinn clapped her hands for a few seconds and said

"Again!"

"Again? Okay, Once upon a time…"

…

Kate woke up and saw the most adorable scene. Rick was lying on the couch, sleeping, with Quinn lying on his chest, also asleep. His right arm was keeping her close, avoiding a possible fall. Kate took a quick picture with her phone and walked towards them to wake the two up. "Castle. Castle, wake up." Kate tapped his chest a couple of times. "Castle, I have to go."

"What? Morning." Rick smiled at her, without changing his position or making any move whatsoever.

"Good morning. They need me at the 12th. You okay?"

"Yeah, go. We'll be fine." Rick said, still immobile not to disturb Quinn's sleep. "Just be sure to take notes on the case to tell me all about it."

"Sure I will." She said, in a mocking tone.

"Don't forget any gory details." He asked.

"Will do." Kate said, and left for work.

…

"Okay, ready?" Rick asked Quinn, who was sitting in the couch. She was wearing a red velvet dress with a small satin sash, white stockings and black patent Mary Janes, and looked even more adorable than usual. Being mid-October, it wasn't too cold, but the chilly air of the fall was starting to reach NYC.

"Yup, yup." The little girl jumped off the couch and ran towards the door "Pa-ak?"

"Yes, later we'll go to the park. But first, we'll run some errands, okay?" Rick asked, picking her up. The little girl gave him "sad" look, which was too cute to even look sad. "It shouldn't take too long. We'll go to the park later." Rick said. He hung Quinn's diaper bag on his left shoulder and proceeded to unlock the door.

…

"Yeah, I'll take a Vanilla Latte and an apple juice, please." Rick said to the cashier at Starbucks. "Okay, that will be $6.02." The cashier, with a name tag that read "Lou" said.

"Alright, here you go." Rick struggled to get a $10 dollar bill while holding a very sleepy Quinn, her diaper bag, a couple of folders and his cellphone. "Thanks." He said, as Lou handed him the change. "Let's sit!"

"Juice." Quinn said, throwing her little hands to the air. "Juice, Juice!"

"Okay, sweetie. Let's sit and have some juice." Rick set Quinn down on the chair and chuckled at the scene. The chair was huge, and Quinn was tiny sitting in it. "Here you go." Rick gave the little girl her sippy cup and watched as she swallowed the juice, fast. "Slow down, Quinn. You're gonna make yourself sick."

"Good juice." Quinn concluded, placing the sippy cup back on the table.

Author's Note: Oh my God, you are unbelievable. Thank you all for reading, subscribing, reviewing, favoriting, everything… I love you all. Please keep reading and reviewing!


	5. Up High

Chapter Five: Up High

**Author's Note: Okay, before anything else, thank you. You are awesome, and without your support, this story just wouldn't be the same. I wanted to say something aside from thank you, though. While writing and reading this story, I've realized this has become a LOT fluffy. I'm so sorry if that wasn't what you were looking for, but if it is, enjoy! It's been a blast writing it, and I intend to keep this going for a long time. Thanks! **

"What's up, Castle?" Kate asked. Almost a month had passed since Quinn came to their custody, and they had finally reached a good schedule. He would take care of Quinn from Monday to Thursday, and they had weekends together. The only weekday Kate stayed with Quinn all day long was Friday, the day he took to go to meetings and autograph sessions. Kate was surprised to see him call on a Wednesday, especially in the afternoon. He usually took Quinn out on that particular day and time.

"Listen, I'm so sorry." Rick said from the other side of the line.

"Shit. What are you sorry for, Castle?" Kate asked.

"I need to get to a meeting in an hour and the sitter can't come." Rick said, his voice apologetic.

"Crap." She said, while trying to think about a solution. Lanie was at work, so she was out. Same with Jenny. Her dad was out fishing. Hannah, the former babysitter, refused to work for them again. Alexis was too far away. Martha was in Paris. Shit, what a day to have an emergency meeting. "You know what? It's cool. I'll tell Gates I have to leave early. Do you think you can drop her off?"

"Yeah, sure. Be there in five. And again, I'm sorry." Rick said.

"Mhm. Bye."

…

"There you are. I thought you'd be here in five!" Kate said, walking towards Rick, who was pushing Quinn's stroller. "Hello, baby girl. Did you have fun today?" Kate asked to the little girl inside the capsule. She was wearing brown leggings, a light pink cashmere sweater, light brown cowboy boots, and a flower headband, an outfit Alexis had bought her.

"We go to the coosel." Quinn answered. She reached out for Kate, who unstrapped her from the stroller and picked her up.

"Oh, the carousel?" Kate asked, ticking the little girl's belly. "Did you go to the carousel?" She asked again, still tickling.

"Yes!" The little girl shouted, still laughing.

"Come on, cupcake. Let's go home." Kate said, taking over control of the stroller. "Walk us out, Castle?"

"Sure thing." He said.

….

"Quinn, baby, you have to sleep." Kate said. She was standing next to the glass wall on the living room, holding Quinn in her arms. She was wearing one of Rick's t-shirts, and her hair was tied up in a messy bun. The little girl was lying down in her arms, trying to set herself free from Kate's arms.

"No sleep." Quinn said, looking up to Kate. She had no idea if it was usual for eighteen month olds, but Quinn's reluctance to sleep was starting to worry her.

"Okay, but what if I sing you a song? Can you sleep after that?" Kate asked, even though she knew odds were, she would only sleep when Rick came home and put her to bed. Her room was now upstairs, a room Rick had decorated especially for her. It was butterfly-themed, and the little girl seemed to love it. That is, except when she had to sleep there. "Let's try a song." Kate adjusted Quinn on her arms and started singing "Everybody knows that we live in a world, where they give bad names to beautiful things, everybody knows that we live in a world, where we don't give beautiful things a second glance, heaven only knows we live in a world…" she started rocking Quinn in her arms "where what we call beautiful is just something on sale, people laughing behind their hands while the fragile, and the sensitive are given no chance." Noticing that Quinn's eyes were almost closing, Kate proceeded to chant the rest of the song "And the leaves turn from red to brown, to be trodden down, to be trodden down, and the leaves turn from red to brown, fall to the ground, fall to the ground." Quinn closed her eyes, and Kate kept rocking her for another ten minutes, before finally going upstairs to place Quinn in her crib.

…

"Kate." Rick said, climbing onto their bed. "Hey."

"Hi." Kate said, turning the lamp on the nightstand on.

"Sorry I woke you up." Rick said.

"It's okay. But why did you?"

"Just wanted to give you a goodnight kiss, tell you that I love you, and ask you if would be okay if Alexis babysat tomorrow."

"Yeah, of course. But, why? Is something wrong?" She asked, sitting up. "'Cause Rick, if there is, I can find a nanny. I don't want you to sacrifice anything."

"No, Kate. You know I love taking care of Quinn. It's no sacrifice. It's just that Paula called and they need me at Black Pawn tomorrow."

"Oh, okay then. Now, can I go back to sleep? I have to work early tomorrow." Kate asked, lying back and reaching for the lamp to turn it off.

"Sure, sleepyhead. Go back to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

**Author's Note: You are amazing. The reviews have been making me coo, and all of the alerts are overwhelming. Thank you so much for being a part of this, and please keep reading and reviewing. **


	6. Monkey See, Monkey Do

Chapter Six: Monkey See, Monkey Do

**Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter goes to caskett lover, who posted a review saying she (or he) would like to see some scenes between Alexis and Quinn. Thanks for your idea, and I'd like to encourage everyone to do the same. This story would be nothing without your thoughts and reviews. **

"Hey, dad!" Alexis said, entering the loft. She threw her bag at the couch and walked towards Rick's office "Dad?"

"Oh, hey pumpkin!" Rick said, poking his head off the office. "Come meet Quinn."

"Is she in there?" Alexis asked.

"Yes. Come in."

Alexis looked at the corner of the office and saw Quinn sitting on a rug. She was wearing a light purple dress, a white cardigan and polka-dotted stockings. She had no shoes on, but Alexis suspected she was supposed to be wearing the golden-colored UGG boots next to her. "Hello, Quinn!" Alexis sat down next to Quinn, and offered her a hand. "I'm Alexis, Rick's daughter. How are you today?"

Quinn looked at Rick, as if to get reassured. Rick nodded at her and she squeezed Alexis' and with her small one. "Fun. We have ice-keem" Quinn answered, and continued to play with her toys.

"You did?" Alexis asked, pretending to be surprised. "And which flavor was it?"

"Vanilla." Quinn answered.

"Really? That's my favorite!"

"My too!" Quinn said, excited. "Wanna play with me?" Quinn asked, offering Alexis a plastic stacking block.

"Sure." Alexis and Quinn proceeded to build a small block wall, completely absorbed in each other's company.

"Pumpkin, I'm gonna go. See you later, okay?"

"Bye, dad." Alexis said.

"Yeah, bye dad." Quinn said, casually.

Alexis and Rick looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Oh shit. He did not see that one coming. Him and Kate would have a long talk later that night.

"Bye." He said, finally. What can't be cured, must be endured.

…

"Less, can we watch Mulan?" Quinn asked Alexis. The two girls were at the kitchen, Quinn sitting on her highchair and Alexis loading the dishwasher.

"Only if you let me give you a bath first." Alexis answered.

"No bath." Quinn shook her head. "Mulan."

"No, no. No Mulan unless you take a bath. Take it or leave it." Alexis said, closing the dishwasher. She approached the highchair, and reached for Quinn "So, bath."

"No bath!" Quinn screamed, and started kicking the chair "Mulan! No bath!"

"Quinn, stop that." Quinn threw her cereal bowl, along with its all contents, her sippy cup and spoon away. "Quinn! Stop that or I'll call Kate!"

"No! Mulan!" Quinn continued.

"Okay, now you won't watch Mulan at all. I was giving you the choice to take a bath, but now you're going anyway." Alexis picked her up from the chair and went towards the upstairs bathroom.

"Stop! You mean!" Quinn continued to kick and scream.

"Ow!" Alexis put Quinn back on the ground. The little girl had kicked her ribs, and she was hurt. More emotionally than physically, but still. "Quinn!"

"Less hurt?" Quinn asked. She was finally out of her tantrum-trance and got genuinely worried about the young woman she'd just hurt. "I soee."

"Quinn, you can't do that!" Alexis said, picking up the girl and sat her on the couch "You can't kick or scream because you want something. You have to do the things we ask you to do first." She stroked the little girl's hair "Do you understand?"

"Yes. Go to bath now?" Quinn stretched her arms towards Alexis "I soee."

"It's okay, Quinn. Let's go and have a bath now." Alexis said. "Maybe we can watch Mulan later."

"Yes?"

"If you're a good girl. Now let's go."

…

"Less?" Quinn asked. She was lying down on the couch, her head on Alexis' lap. They were watching Mulan after all, but the little girl seemed to be rather tired.

"Yeah?" Alexis asked, caressing the little girl's back softly.

"Can I go nighty-night now?" She asked, with a yawn.

"Of course. Do you want to go to your room?"

"No. Sleep here. Wait for mommy and daddy."

Alexis was still surprised to hear Quinn call Kate "mommy" and Rick "daddy". Little did she know, they'd be just as surprised.

…

"We're home!" Kate shouted as soon as she entered the loft.

"I think they're asleep." Rick said, taking off her coat and kicking off his shoes. "That's good. We need to talk."

"Uh-oh." Kate mocked. "Should I get a glass of wine?"

"No. let's just go to bed and we'll talk."

"Should we wake up the girls and send them to bed?"

"I think they'll be alright. Come on." Rick grabbed Kate's hand and led the way towards the bedroom.

"Castle, what's going on? Is everything okay?" Kate asked. She sat on the bed, cross legged.

"Quinn called me 'dad' today." Rick said, his voice full with concern.

"Oh, wow." Kate said. She was still wrapping her head around the thought, when her thinking was interrupted by Rick.

"Are you mad?"

"No. Not really." She said, squeezing his hand. "I think that was the next natural step, right?" She continued. "Mom and Dad. Especially with Alexis around. She calls you dad, and you are to Quinn what you are to Alexis"

"Don't you think it's too soon?" He asked, worried. She was usually the one to want to take it slowly.  
"Do you?" She asked, still unsure of what to say.

"Not really."

"Then I think we're good." She said, and gave him a quick kiss. "Let's go to bed, Rick."

"Yeah."

….

**Author's Note: Thank you, everyone! It's been a blast to write this story and many more chapters are to come. I hope you enjoyed the Alexis/Quinn scenes! Please leave a review! I want to know your thoughts!**


	7. Eyes on The Road

Chapter Seven: Eyes on The Road

"Okay, everyone ready?" Castle asked. It was early November and they were getting ready to spend a week at the Hamptons. Kate and Alexis had been there before, but it was Quinn's first time, and saying that she was excited was an understatement. She was bouncing around, picking up her backpack and putting it back on the floor. Her teddy bear, Javi, was being held by his police cap.

"Yes, daddy! Let's go to the Lamptons!" Quinn said, walking towards the door.

"Okay, Quinn. Let me zip up your coat." Kate said, gesturing to the little girl to come close.

"No cold." Quinn pouted.

"But you're gonna be. It's cold outside. Come on, let me zip it." Quinn let Kate zip up her jacket and picked up her backpack.

"We can go now?" Quinn asked, looking at Kate, then Rick, then back at Kate.

"Yes, sweetie. We're going now. But we're picking up Alexis first, remember?" Rick said. He unlocked the door and proceeded to retract their luggage.

"Less coming?" Quinn asked. She was now being carried by Kate, who was also carrying three shoulder bags and a pillow.

"Yes. Alexis is coming with us." Kate answered while locking the door behind her. Rick was already pushing the elevator button.

"Yay!" The little girl shouted. She and Alexis had grown quite close, with the young woman coming back to NY to visit the little girl whenever she could.

…

"Hey dad. Hey Kate." Alexis said, giving her father and his girlfriend a hug. "Where's Quinn?" Alexis asked, pretending not to see the little girl hiding behind her dad.

"Here!" Quinn shouted, leaving from behind Rick's legs. "Hey, Less!"

"Hi, Quinn!" Alexis picked up the little girl. "Whoa, you're getting big! You excited!"

"Yes. Mommy said we can play on the sand. " Quinn said.

"That sounds fun!"

"Okay, girls. Let's go. I want to get there before lunch." Rick said. He hung Alexis' carry-ons on his shoulders and grabbed Kate's hand.

…

"How much longer, dad?" Alexis asked. She was sitting on the backseat, squeezed between bags and Quinn's car seat, and was rather uncomfortable.

"I'd expect Quinn to ask that question, Lex, not you." Rick said.  
"Well, it's a bit tight in here." Alexis said, annoyed.

"Wanna switch seats?" Kate asked.

"No, it's fine."

"You sure? I don't mind."

"It's cool. I'm just a bit nauseous."

"Sorry, pumpkin. We're almost there. Another half hour, tops." Rick answered.

"Mommy?"  
"What's wrong, Quinn?"

"I want juice."

"Did you bring the sippy cup?" Kate asked Rick.

"No. Sorry. Didn't even cross my mind."

"It's fine. But maybe we should stop somewhere. A bathroom break and a cool drink we do us all good."

"Please!" Alexis said, opening the window to let the cool fall wind hit her face.

"I think there's a diner about five miles from here. We'll stop there." Rick said.

...

"You got her?" Kate asked Rick, who was holding Quinn in his arms. The little girl was antsy, and the road trip seemed to be too much for her. It was supposed to last three hours, but with the occasional breaks to stretch the legs, they'd been on the road for two hours, and there was about two more until they reached the house.

"Yeah." Rick answered. He closed the car door and followed Kate inside the small diner.

"Hello." A middle aged woman, with a name tag that read "_Petunia_" said. "Table for four?" She asked, her wide smile not leaving her face.

"Yes, please." Rick told her.  
"Right this way." Petunia led them to a small table next to a big glass window. It had a nice view of the road, which was sure to entertain Quinn. She loved watching the cars. "I'll be right back to take your order."

"Thank you." Kate gave Petunia a smile and started reading the menu.

"Do you think they have anything that as less than a thousand calories here?" Alexis asked. Quinn was sitting on her lap, swinging her legs back and forth while watching the cars.

"I doubt." Kate answered, closing the menu. "I think I'll just have a glass of orange juice."  
"Uh-uh. Not allowed." Rick said, shaking his head. "Road trips without fattening food are not real road trips. You two are eating something crazy unhealthy too, and you're gonna like it."

"Really, Castle?" Kate asked, shooting him a doubtful look. "Alright. I'll follow the rule. But only because I'm hungry."

"How about you, pumpkin?" Rick asked, turning to face Alexis "Oppa Castle Style?"

Alexis laughed. "You're way too old for this, dad." She picked up the menu. "Okay, whatever. I'll gain a pound or two, who cares?"

"That's my girl. Shall we order?"

"Sure thing. What will we get Quinn? Nothing too greasy."

"Apple juice and chicken fingers?" Rick asked. Petunia had just arrived at the table, and was writing down Alexis' order.

"Not on my watch. Perhaps they have some kind of pasta?"

"We do." Petunia said, interrupting them. "We have our kid's special. It's called Shaun's Red and White Spaghetti."

"Which consists in…"

"Spaghetti with white sauce, tomato pieces and a side of mashed potatoes."

"Okay, we'll take that. Also an apple juice, an orange juice, a hamburger and a small plate of fries. Castle?"

"I'll have a BaconBurger and two large curly fries. Oh, and a coke."

"I'll be back soon."

"Wanna kill yourself, dad?" Alexis asked.

"Or become a village?" Kate asked. "Pun intended."

"Ha-ha. I love curly fries and 'BaconBurger'? Sounds amazing."

"Mhm. What an example. I think Quinn would love to see you supersize." Kate said, mocking him.

The little girl turned around at the sound of her name. "What do you think, sweets? Want a supersized daddy?" Rick asked, pulling her onto his lap.

"I like mini. Like me." She answered.

"See?"

"You two are crazy." Alexis said.

"Not fair."

**Author's Note: Chance of having this chapter re-written: 98%. I'm so not happy with it. I don't know how you feel about it, though, so please leave a review to state your thoughts. You know how much I love them! **


	8. Sunny

Chapter Eight: Sunny

**Author's Note: Okay, so this one goes especially to NinaK. 05. She was the one who approached me to suggest that the chapters were longer, and I decided to go for it. I hope you like the new set-up, but if you don't, please let me know. And always remember, I love you all, I appreciate reviews, and I'm open to suggestions. Thanks! **

They'd arrived at the Hamptons house at around two pm, almost two hours after they'd planned to do so. They were exhausted, and even though Quinn wasn't one for afternoon nap, she was very tired as well.

"Maybe we should all sleep for an hour or two. Then we can move on with the schedule." Kate said, looking at Rick. They were unloading the car, with Alexis and Rick taking the luggage upstairs and Kate separating them according to each part of the house they'd go to. Quinn was trying to help, but her insistency on name every carry on or rolling bag was not helping at all. "Wanna go to sleep now, Quinn?"

"No. Wanna play on the sand." Quinn asked, without hesitating. "Build castles."

"Okay, Quinn. But we can do all of that later. And you can take a nap first, that way you'll be rested, and playing in the sand will be even more fun."

"No. Play now." Quinn insisted. She was not one for giving up.

"But aren't you tired?" Kate asked.

"No. No sleep." Quinn was now heading for the door, a couple of beach toys in one hand and Javi on the other.

"Listen, bunny. I know you don't want to sleep right now, and I don't either." Rick said, picking her up and taking her to the couch. The house was huge, with four bedrooms and about twelve other rooms. Quinn had never been in a house that big, and Rick suspected that was why she didn't want to sleep. Aside from having so much to explore, Quinn didn't do well with foreign places. "But, if we don't, we won't have energy to play later. And we don't want that, do we?" He asked. When the little girl nodded, he pulled her into his lap and proceeded. "So, want to take a nap?"

"I scared." She said "Big house, big monsters." They had dealt with the monster situation before. Usually, the "monsters" only showed up when Javi wasn't with her, so this time was a surprise.

"Oh, big monsters?" The little girl nodded at Rick's question "But they won't come and get you if you're with your daddy, right?"

"You big. They scared, too."

"So how about you come upstairs with me, and sleep in my bed? That way, you won't be alone, and they won't get you." He suggested.

"Okay." Quinn said. She was actually tired, and said it with a yawn.

"Come on, Quinn. Let's get some sleep." Rick picked her up and headed towards the master bedroom. He knew Kate wouldn't like the idea of having to sleep in the guest room that afternoon, but he also knew Quinn's nap would make everyone rested.

…

"Daddy, daddy." Rick heard a soft voice say.

"Hmm." He murmured, not any more awake then he was five minutes ago.

"Daddeeeeeeeee!" He heard the voice again, but this time, it wasn't soft. It was a high-pitched, headache-inducing voice. He looked down and saw Quinn literally climbing on him, while calling him incessantly.

"What's wrong, Quinn?" He asked, still sleeping.

"Wake up!" She screamed, just high enough for him to wake up.

"Good grief, Quinn. What's going on?" He slowly sat himself on the bed and started rubbing his eyes. He wondered what time it was, but there was no clock in sight to let him know for sure.

"Night!" She yelled "It's night!" Quinn whined "We can't build sandcastles anymore!"

"Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry. But it's okay, we can go tomorrow. There's no need to get upset." He started ruffling her hair softly.

"No! We go to the beach in the dark!"

"Quinn, it's no fun on the beach at night. It'd be better if we went tomorrow morning." Rick tried to convince her. He knew he wouldn't succeed. They never did. Quinn wasn't a bad child at all, but she had a great memory and was very vocal for her age. She would never give up on anything, especially if someone had told her it would happen. It was hard for them in the present, but they knew it was the kind of trait they wanted her to have.

"No! You said today, so we go today." Quinn said, crossing her arms. She had her dark hair tied in a braid, and was still wearing the outfit she wore on the road trip. It was one of her favorites, a brown dress with crochet detailing on the sleeves and hem, turquoise glitter flats and a cardigan that matched the flats' shade of blue.

"I know, baby, but we can go tomorrow. It'll be more fun!" Rick tried again, but he'd already lost the game. They'd go to the beach that night, whether he liked it or not. He only needed to find out if his girlfriend and daughter would keep him company, or if he would enjoy a dark, cold walk on the beach with a toddler in tow. Awesome.

"No. Today." Quinn said one more time. She wasn't yelling anymore. She wasn't pouting, or throwing a tantrum. She was as calm as a twenty month old can be without being completely asleep.

"Okay, Quinn. Let's wake up mommy and Alexis and see if they want to come with us, okay?" Rick said, getting up from the bed. He took a quick look at the window and realized it was dark, but still early. He took his IPhone off his pocket and looked to see what time it was. It was a little after seven, and he was surprise to know they'd slept that much. Also, how come Quinn wasn't hungry? Was she that excited about the beach?

"Pick me up?" Quinn asked, stretching her arms out to Rick.

"Sure, you big baby." He picked her up, making an exaggerated noise to imply that she was heavy.

"I small. Not big." Quinn said, obviously noting her dad's exaggeration.

"You're too smart for me." Rick carried Quinn until they reached the guest room, where he set her on the bed. He looked at Kate and saw one of the things he loved the most. Watching her sleep. It was the only time when she looked fragile. Vulnerable. Almost like she needed him to keep an eye out for her, to make sure she'd be okay.

"Wake mommy up?" Quinn asked, her bright blue eyes staring at him.

"Yes, but be gentle. No jumping or screaming." He said, patting her small back. "Go ahead."

"Mommy?" Quinn placed her little hand on one of Kate's cheeks "Mommy…" She pressed her hand this time "MOMMY!" she finally screamed on Kate's ear.

Kate woke up, alarmed. She looked at Rick, then Quinn. "Hey, baby." She shot Rick a glance.

"In one ear and out the other." Rick said. He should've known better. Deep down, he know she would scream eventually, but he hoped Kate would wake up before that. Silly him.

"It's okay, don't worry." She said, giving him a more compassionate look this time. She was getting used to all of it. The goldfish-powered alarm clock, the weird things in even weirder places, the obscene amount of tiny clothes and colorful toys Rick had loaded both their houses with, sticky hands touching everything she owned… but she was happy. Genuinely happy. She had a new reason to come home every day. This reason, wasn't hate. Or vengeance. It was the purest, most truthful love. It was something really worthy. Something she was proud of.

"Kate?" Rick said, pulling Kate out of her thoughts.

"Yeah?" Quinn was lying down on her favorite position, over one of her parents' stomachs. It was quite the picture, a little person lying over someone twice her size. It was the position she considered to be most comfy, and the easiest one to get her to sleep.

"Quinn wants to go to the beach. And I promised, so…" Rick explained.

"Mhm. Always watch your words around that one."

"Yeah, I'm learning it the hard way. We came to ask if you want to come." Rick caressed Quinn's back, and consequently Kate's stomach. "And please, don't feel pressured to do so. I'm sure the beach at night, alone with a toddler, will be plenty of fun." He mocked.

"I can imagine it. But I think I'm gonna stay. Make something to eat, or order something. Maybe even take a bath." She said.

"Lucky duckling. Come on, Quinn. Let's ask Lexi if she wants to come with us." Rick offered Quinn his hand and helped her off the bed.

"Bye, mommy." She said, waving at Kate.

"Bye, sweetie."

They walked fast towards Alexis' bedroom, mainly 'cause Quinn wasn't walking, but hopping. He knocked on the door a couple of times before hearing Alexis' permission to come in.

"What's up, dad?"

"We're going to the beach. Wanna come with?" He asked. Quinn was looking around. Alexis' bedroom was the most colorful one, having been furnished when the young woman was only nine.

"Please? Help me in the sand?" Quinn asked.

"Sure, let's go." Alexis got up from her chair and followed Rick and Quinn towards the front door. She picked up the small bag of beach toys Quinn had put there earlier and walked out the door.

…

"Hey, dad?" Alexis asked. She'd been playing on the sand with Quinn for the past hour, while her dad did some thinking. He always seemed to have a lot to think about.

"Yeah?"

"Did you bring the camera?"

"I did, but why are you asking?"

"I just taught Quinn to sing one of your favorite songs. Now she's humming it while building a sandcastle and it's the cutest thing I've seen."

"Oh god. Which one?" he said, already getting up from the spot he was sitting in.

"Why don't you come here and see?" Alexis led the way to the spot where Quinn was building her castle.

"This little light of miiiiiine, I'm gonna let it shiiiiine, this little light of miiiiiine, I'm gonna let it shiiiiine, let it shiiiiine, let it shiiiiine." Quinn sang, completely out of tone. She had a little beach shovel in one hand and a small bucket on the other. It was indeed one of the cutest things he'd ever seen. "Every day, every day, every day, every day, I'm gonna let my lil light shiiiiine!"

"Got it?" Alexis asked. She wanted Kate to see that. Kate had to see it.

"Yes. But we should go now. It's getting really cold and Kate is probably getting worried." Rick squatted in front of Quinn's sand castle and looked at her "Sweetie, we have to go now. It's cold out here and mommy is waiting for us."

"But… What about my sandcastle?" Quinn asked, tears on her eyes. "I don't want it to die." She whined.

"Oh, baby. Come on. I took a picture of it, so you can remember it forever. Now, please pick up your toys. We need to go." He said, already putting some of the toys back in the beach bag. "I said we would come and build a sandcastle. We did so, now it's time to go home."

"Okay. I'm hungry, daddy." Quinn said. The three of them were now sitting on the sand, picking up her beach toys.

"Yeah, I know. Let's go home and see what we'll eat, okay?" Rick got up from the sand and offered both his girls an arm. Alexis locked her arm with his, while Quinn happily held his hand. It was a long, chilly walk home.

…

"She's down." Rick told Kate, who was lying on their bed watching some kind of action TV show.

"Finally. God, if I didn't know better, I'd swear Quinn's your daughter. She has your endless energy." She said. She set down the remote and watched as Rick changed into his pajamas and hopped into bed.

"Hey, Kate?" He asked, turning to his side to face her. She did the same, and they were now lying face-to-face on the bed. "Do you think we're doing a good job?"

"What do you mean?"

"With Quinn. Do you think we're the best for her?" Rick asked, his insecurities filling the room.

"I think…" She reached for his hand "I think we're doing the best we can. And right now, that's all she's asking for." She squeezed his hand. "Now go to bed. Quinn needs you rested so she can wear you out again tomorrow. Good night." She planted a soft kiss on his lips and turned to the other side to sleep. Little did he know, she was also insecure about raising Quinn.

**Author's Note: Whoa. 2169 words! That's twice my usual! It was a lot easier than I expected, but a lot harder than usual. I hope you enjoyed this bigger-sized TLLOM installment and please review. Thanks! **


	9. When Skies Are Grey

Chapter Nine: When Skies Are Grey

"Dad!" Alexis yelled "Dad!" she yelled again. Having had no response from Rick, she resorted to Quinn's approach to waking up people. "DAD!" She yelled once more, this time loud enough to wake both Rick and Kate and scare the hell out of them.

"What's happening?" Kate asked, completely confused. Why was Alexis screaming in their bedroom? It's gotta be something serious, right?

"Dad, my mom just called." The mention of Meredith was enough to get Rick off the bed. She didn't need to say anything. He knew there was something wrong with Meredith, and bitch or not, she was still Alexis' mother and was a part of her life.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He took Alexis' arm gently and led her out of the room, to make sure Kate could go back to sleep without being disturbed.

"Her assistant called. She's at the hospital." Alexis said. Tears were forming in her eyes as she proceeded to explain the rest of the story. "She… and I…" tears started flowing freely down her cheeks. Rick didn't know what had happened, but he was pissed at Meredith regardless.

"Pumpkin, calm down. I need to understand what you're saying."

"I need to go see her, dad. I have to go."

"I know, I know. Calm down." Rick said, and caressed the small of her back, trying to sooth her. "I'll buy us tickets for this afternoon. Just pack a bag, okay? Everything will be fine."

"Us? No, dad… it's your weekend with Kate and Quinn. I'll be okay." She tried to argue, even though she knew it was pointless.

"You are out of your mind if you think I'm gonna let my baby girl fly to LA alone to visit her lunatic of a mother at the hospital." Rick noticed Alexis' reproving glance and said "Sorry. Sorry. She's gonna be okay."

…

"Kate, I need to tell you something." Rick said. He sat on the bed, next to where Kate was lying down.

"Shit. What happened?" Kate said. He would never have used that tone if it wasn't something worry-worthy.

"I need to take Alexis to LA today. Meredith is at the hospital and she needs to see her mother." Rick told her. He didn't want to do it, and he knew Kate wouldn't like the idea either, but he hoped she'd understand his need to support Alexis.

"What's wrong with her?" Kate asked. She didn't really cared about Meredith, but she also wanted to help Alexis.

"I don't know."

"Okay, you find out and call me. It's almost ten am, so if I were you, I'd get those tickets right now." She warned him.

"You're not upset?"

"Of course I am. I wanted that weekend to be about our family, not about Meredith. But I also understand that you have to take Alexis there." She said. She planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"I'm so sorry. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Don't sweat it. Leave the car, and we'll meet back in NYC."

"But our weekend…"

"Castle, there'll be plenty of weekends, okay? Now go. Pack your things. Your daughter needs you."

"Thank you." He said. He too, kissed her.

…

"Quinn? It's time to get up." Kate said. She caressed the little girl's hair softly.

"Mommy?" She asked, startled. She was always an easy riser, but after yesterday's night adventures, Kate could understand why she was tired. "Is it day?"

"Yes. Come on, get up." Kate said, helping the little girl sit on the bed. She had her brown hair in a braid, and was wearing a blue butterfly nightgown Rick had bought her recently.

"Where's daddy?" Rick was usually the one to wake Quinn up. Mornings were hectic for Kate, but she always made sure to have breakfast with Quinn after she was dressed and ready, and the little girl was up and ready to eat.

"He had to go somewhere with Alexis, but he'll be back soon." Rick and Alexis had left for the airport about half an hour before, hoping to get better seats. Rick had to pull quite a few strings to get on that flight, and he wouldn't risk losing it. "But we'll have fun, I promise. We'll go to the park." Kate wasn't alone with Quinn very often. They usually had Rick's company or Alexis', or even Martha's.

"But… he didn't say goodbye." She told Kate. She was using her whiny tone, the one both Rick and Kate hated.

"He didn't want to wake you up." The little girl pouted and Kate picked her up from the bed, giving her a hug. "Don't be sad. We can even have ice-cream today, if you want to."

"Yes!" Quinn shouted, from Kate's arms.

…

"Quinn, be careful." Kate said. They were at a playground, and Quinn, at true Castle fashion, was trying to do something mighty dangerous.

"Look, mommy!" Kate watched as Quinn went down a slide that was an easy twenty times her size.

"That's awesome, Quinnie!" Kate said, without any real enthusiasm whatsoever. Taking Quinn to playgrounds was not something she enjoyed, 'because she always felt like danger was everywhere. The bigger kids, the not-so-safe playground toys, and the amount of sand she KNEW Quinn ate out of the sandbox… to distract her overprotective mind, she picked up a book from out of Quinn's diaper bag, one she knew Rick always kept there. It was Dashiell Hammett's _The Glass Key_, one of her favorites. As she approached the second chapter, she heard a familiar cry coming from one of the teepees. She sat down the book and ran towards the teepees as fast and she could.

"Quinn?" she called. "Quinn?"

"Mommy!" she heard Quinn yell. She followed the low voice until she reached a blue-green teepee, where Quinn was sitting.

"Baby, what happened?" She asked. She sat down on the floor and pulled Quinn to her lap. "Tell mommy what happened."

"A bi-big boy." Quinn told her, her cries still not easing. "He pulled my hair."

"Which boy?" Kate asked. She knew reaching the boy and demanding an explanation was a bad idea. But that little brat had hurt her daughter, and she wouldn't let him do that and get out of the situation easily.  
"I don't know… orange top."

"Come on." She got up and picked up Quinn. The two of them walked around the playground until Quinn pointed the boy out.

"That one?" Kate asked.

"Yes. Bad boy." Quinn confirmed.

"Okay." Kate walked towards the young boy with the orange t-shirt. He was a lot older than Quinn, perhaps six or seven. He was currently pulling some other little girl's hair, and Kate couldn't spot anyone who was watching him. "Hey!" She yelled, and the little boy stopped what he was doing to look at her. "You, with the orange shirt. Come here." She gestured towards the boy, but he didn't come. "Come here, NOW!" She was completely out of her mind. How did he dare? Had no one given him an education?

"What?" The boy asked, with a petulant tone that annoyed the crap out of Kate.

"What's your name?"

"Calvin." He answered. "And what's your name, sexy?"

Kate's jaw dropped. What? Was she really being hit on by a six-year-old on a playground? And where did he learn that word? "Listen to me, you little monster. You hurt my daughter, and I saw you trying to hurt that other little girl. If I ever see you trying to hurt anybody else, you'll be sorry." Good god. She had just threatened a six-year-old child. She'd treated him like a criminal. "Come on, Quinn, let's go."

"But mommy, I wanna play." Quinn said.

"I know. We'll play somewhere else. Come on." Kate took Quinn by the hand and led her towards the car. As she strapped Quinn into her car seat, she felt sick. She felt guilty. She knew there were other solutions, but she didn't look for them. She plain and simply scared the hell out of a six-year-old, because he pulled her daughter's hair. And as she took off with the car, a million thoughts raced through her mind.

…

"Quinn, it's time for your bath." Kate said, entering the room where the little girl was playing.

"Noooooo." The little girl said, her exaggeration making Kate chuckle.

"Come on, silly. It'll be quick. We have to go home later." Kate glanced at the clock and saw the time. A little past four. She was planning to leave at six, so that they could be back in town by nine thirty, tops.

"Okay." Quinn stretched her arms out to Kate, indicating he wanted to be picked up.

"Come on. Let's sing the bath song. 'Sing hey! For the bath at close of day that washes the weary mud away! A loon is he that will not sing: O! Water Hot is a noble thing!'" Kate began, carrying Quinn to the bathroom.

"O! Sweet is the sound of falling rain, and the book that leaps from hill to plain, but better than rain or ippling steams is Water Hot that smokes and steams." Quinn continued, skipping a fair share of r's while singing.

"O! Water cold we may pour at need down a thirsty throat and be glad indeed; but better is Beer if drink we lack and Water Hot poured down the back." They both sang, loudly. Kate undressed Quinn, and put her down on the tub, slowly. "O! Water is fair that leaps on high in a fountain white beneath the sky; but never did fountain sound so sweet as splashing Hot Water with my feet!" they finished.

"Yay!" Quinn cheered, clapping her hands. She loved the bath song, which Rick had taught her on the same week she'd arrived home.

"Yay!" Kate mimicked. "Tilt your head back, baby." Kate asked.

"Look, mommy!" Quinn slapped the water, causing it to splash everywhere.

"Aah!" Kate pretended to be upset "You made mommy wet you little monster."

"I soee."

"You know what happens when mommy gets wet?" When Quinn shook her head, Kate said "She turns into the tickle monster!" Kate tickled Quinn's belly.

"No! Stop!" Quinn laughed.

"Okay, okay. Tickle monster is gone. And so are we. Come on, let's get dried."

…


	10. Polka-Dotted Elephant

**Author's Note: Okay, before anything else, I wanted to send a message to a certain anonymous reviewer. Yes, I'm aware of the similarities of this story to another story published here almost two years ago, and last updated on December 2011. For starters, if you are the author of the story (which I highly doubt), please identify yourself in reviews. Letting me know what exactly you want (credit?) would make everything easier. If you are not, please tell me, every single fic you've ever read had an original plot? No similarities to other fics, no similarities to cases that were featured in the media? Great joke. To end this way too long and way too useless AN, I quote: "There is nothing new under the sun." To my other amazing, incredible readers, thank you so much for reading and reviewing. It makes everything a lot better! **

**Ps. That's a short chapter. Due to school, due to some mild-laziness, due to those particular reviews (two, but I believe both were written by the same person)… There's a lot happening, and it took me quite a while to manage to write something. I hope you can understand and I promise a longer next chapter.**

**Ps. II. I'm SO SO SO sorry. I got the files mixed up and as you all have noticed, that chapter belongs to another story. I'm terribly sorry, and I'm sure it won't happen again. This is the REAL tenth chapter. Thanks, Mariana.  
**

Chapter 10: Polka-Dotted Elephant

"Mom!" Alexis yelled, running towards the bed where Meredith was lying.

"Hello, Alexis." Meredith said, in an 'I'm so sick' tone that was clearly fake.

"What happened?" She asked. Rick was standing by the glass door, holding a cup of coffee.

"You better ask Paul. He understands it better than I do." Meredith answered.

"Who's Paul?" Alexis asked.

"My assistant. He's outside rescheduling some things. Talk to him, and please fix your hair. You look like you just left the set of Hocus Pocus." Meredith said, staring at her reflex on a mirror she'd just taken out of a makeup bag.

Without further word, Alexis left the room to look for Paul.

"You are unbelievable." Rick said, his tone angry but formal.

"Is there something wrong, Richard?" That was the thing he hated the most about her. Her condescendence. She was always rude to people, and she always acted superior. Truly, he didn't really understand his own reasons to be with her in the first place. He didn't regret it, of course not. She gave him Alexis, after all. But oh, how he hated himself for those foolish mistakes.

"This is your daughter, Meredith!" he yelled "She flew all the way from New York, to see you! What's wrong with you, anyway?" he asked "One of your implants burst?" Rick didn't really mean to be that rude. But Meredith could get to him like no one else could. Abandoning Alexis wasn't enough for her, no. She also had to make his little girl feel bad every time she saw her.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" She asked, still keeping the same biased look and tone.

"I have. You're the one who's still the damn same." He cupped his face in his hands and walked away from the bed, heading towards the door. "I'll tell Alexis to come in to say goodbye. We're leaving."

"She's my daughter too, Rick." Meredith said "I'm sick, I need her here."

"I highly doubt it's something serious. But if it is, she'll be back. Unlike her mother, she has morals." He finished.

"Rick…"

"Goodbye, Meredith. It was not a pleasure to see you again."

…

"Okay, now how's that?" Kate asked Quinn, who was sitting on a bar stool, facing the bathroom mirror.

"Uh…" Quinn ran her hands through her hair, touching the braids Kate had tried to make. "That doesn't look so good, mommy." She admitted. Kate could handle hair, but Quinn's was a challenge.

"Sorry, baby. Daddy can do better, I know."

"No, mommy!" Quinn tried "I look very pretty."

"You sure do, but not thanks to what I did to your hair." Kate looked at the little girl. Her hair looked awful. Kate snapped a picture to send Rick before she could handle the braid situation. "Let's get your hair back to normal, okay?"

"You not sad?"

"No, Quinn. I won't be sad." Kate picked up Quinn and placed her on the toilet. She turned the bath water on. "It should take a while, wanna watch a cartoon?"

"No." The little girl shook her head. "Call daddy."

"We should indeed call daddy. That's a great idea." Kate took Quinn's hand and led her to the bedroom. She grabbed her phone and dialed Rick's number. "Hi."

"Hey, what's up?"

"There's a little monster here who wants to talk to her daddy." Kate tickled Quinn's belly.

"Oh, there is? Put her on. But I need to talk to you afterwards, so don't hang up."

"Okay." Kate gave Quinn the phone. "Say hi to daddy."

"Hi, daddy!"

"Hey there, bunny. How are you?"

"Good. Mommy did my hair."

"Oh, and did it look pretty?"

Quinn looked at Kate, as if asking for permission to tell Rick about the hair. Even though Kate couldn't hear the conversation, she nodded, telling the little girl to continue the conversation.

"Not really." She finally said.

"I'm sorry to hear. Baby, I gotta go. But I'm bringing a gift, okay?"

"Okay, daddy. I love you." Quinn made a 'smack' noise.

"I love you too. Let me talk to mommy."

"Bye." Quinn gave Kate the phone.

"Hey. How's Meredith?"

"Bitchy."

"As in health, Castle."

"I don't really know. But it hasn't affected her rudeness."

"What did she do?"

"Insulted Alexis. About such a stupid thing… Oh god, I hate her."

"Argh. Me too."

"She's a total lunatic."

"Surely. Listen, I have to go. I'm drawing Quinn a bath do that I can undo the mess I did to her hair.

"Okay. I should be home tomorrow afternoon."

"Already?"

"Aren't you missing me?"

"Of course I am. I just thought Alexis would want to be there for a while longer."

"I don't think she will, but I'll keep you posted."

"Okay, bye."

…

"Appendicitis!" Alexis screamed, from the end of the hallway. Rick was sitting in one of the dozens of chairs that were part of the waiting room.

"What?" Rick asked, confused."

"That's what Meredith had, freaking appendicitis!"

"That's all?"

"Yes. What a waste of time." Alexis looked pissed. She had all the reason to, but Rick didn't expect her to be. "Can we go home?"

"You sure?"

"Yes. I promised Quinn I'd take her to get ice cream before going back to college, and I need to be back by Wednesday."

"Well, it's only Saturday…"

"DAD. I want to go now. Please."

"Okay. It's your call. Do you want to say goodbye?"

"No. I'll send her a text later."

"Alexis…"

"I don't wanna hear it, dad. I want to go."

"Okay." They headed to the elevator, and pressed the button to the first floor.

…

**Author's Note: Meh. That's how I'm describing this chapter. Please leave a review with your thoughts and ideas. I appreciate them! **


	11. Love Hurts

**Author's Note: I hope you all read the correction to the last chapter (I'm not sure how it works. Do you get an e-mail?), and I certainly hope you liked it! This chapter took longer than expected, but it's finally done. Enjoy! **

Chapter 11: Love Hurts

"Kate?" Rick called "We're home!" He sat the carry-ons he was holding on the floor.

"I don't think she's home, dad." Alexis said.

"She has to be. I told her when we'd be here. She said she'd be home." He said, worry in his voice.

"Perhaps she went out to get something." Alexis tried to calm him down. She usually succeeded. Even when she was a little girl, she always did the best job helping him out of bad situations. Not only because she was always mature for her age, but also 'cause she always had the ability to talk when necessary, and stay quiet when silence was needed. But whenever something happened with either Quinn or Kate, her comfort wasn't enough. Not because she wasn't enough, but because she was a part of Rick's fullness. She knew her father wasn't just hers anymore. He was also Quinn's father, and Kate's partner –both at work and at home.

"Somehow I doubt that. I'm gonna call her." Rick pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Kate's number. Her picture showed up, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He always smiled. He loved that picture, he really did. It was one he'd taken just a month after Quinn came to live with them. She and Quinn were blowing him kisses, Quinn's eyes completely closed with joy, and Kate's open, staring at him. She had that soft, caring look on, the one that made him the happiest man on earth.

"Beckett," He heard Kate say. He could hear a lot of voices in the background. Some kind of commotion.

"Kate, where are you? We just got home." He said. Alexis had gone upstairs to start unpacking, and he was still downstairs. He looked around. The house was a mess. But not the usual mess. Instead of stacking cups, wooden blocks and plush toys, there were towels, buckets and blankets. There were more pillows than usual on the couch, and the sink was full. He even spotted a pair of Quinn-sized pajamas next to the chair close to the largest living room window. Quinn's favorite spot, he thought.

"Castle. I need you to remain calm."

"Why? Kate, what's wrong? Where are you?" The fact that she had told him to stay calm only made him more nervous. He was sitting in one of the kitchen stools, tapping his feet on the ground nervously.

"I'm at the hospital."

"What happened? Are you okay?" He asked. Kate could hear the desperation on his voice.

"I'm fine. But Quinn's not." She didn't need to say anything else. Rick was already up and preparing to leave. Damn. His little girl was at the hospital and he wasn't there because he was in LA, visiting Meredith.

"Which hospital?" he asked.

"Lenox Hill. I'm in the waiting room at the pediatrics section."

"I'll be there in a few."

"Okay."

"Alexis, let's go." Rick yelled. Alexis hadn't heard the conversation, and was completely unaware of the situation.

"What? Go where?"

"The hospital."

"What happened?" She asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure. But I'm confident we'll find out when we get there, okay? Quinn's sick, Kate's at the hospital and we're going."

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"Let's go."  
…

"Kate!" Rick walked towards the place where Kate was sitting. The pediatrics section was quite lovely, if it weren't for the fact that it was a hospital, and there were sick children everywhere. Every wall had colorful murals, ranging from wild animals to rainbows and fairies. The chairs were colorful too, each one in a different color and shade. The place was still scary, regardless of how many comforting touches they added. There were still child-sized wheelchairs and mini hospital beds.

"Castle!" Kate ran to his arms. No, she wasn't one for public displays of affection. But when the most important thing in your life is at risk, you just don't care.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. They're still running some tests."

"But what was she feeling?" Alexis asked. Kate hadn't even realized she was there.

"Oh, hi Alexis. I'm sorry, I just…"

"It's okay." She assured Kate. "But, how was she? Fever? Vomiting?"

"Yes, both." She answered. "But she was also pale, and…" Kate's hands started shaking and Rick sensed she was starting to lose balance.  
"Hey, it's okay. They should tell us what's happening soon." He was trying to be strong for her. She was usually the one holding the house, but this time, it was his turn. His turn to help her, his turn to be her solid ground.

"Miss Beckett?" They heard someone call. Kate got up from the chair and raised her hand.

"That's me." She said.

A young, good-looking doctor approached them, with a file on his hands.

"Hello, I'm doctor Walden." He said, offering them a hand. Rick noticed Kate was still too shocked to play any kind of social interaction, so she shook the man's hand himself. They were standing like a family of wolves. The leaders of the pack on the front, and the young on the back.

"Richard Castle. This is Detective Kate Beckett, and this is my daughter, Alexis." He said.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Quinn's pediatrician, I have news about her case."  
"What's wrong with her?" Kate finally said something. She was holding Rick's hand tightly, tight enough to hurt him.

"Kate, ouch." Rick said, keeping his voice low.

"I bring good news. Well, not exactly good, but better than expected." Doctor Walden looked at the family. They were staring at him, asking for more information. "She has Scarlet Fever."

"What?" Rick asked "I thought no one had that anymore."

"It's still very common for children ages two to six. Quinn is twenty months old, so she fits the chart." He set the file on a counter next to him. "Rash, high fever and sore throat. The tests have confirmed. It's Scarlet Fever."

"How about her tongue?" Kate asked. Quinn's tongue had an whitish look, with a few red spots. It was the symptom that worried Kate the most.

"It's a less common Scarlet Fever symptom, but it's been known to happen. We're putting her on antibiotics, and she should be released by tomorrow morning."

"That's it?" It was Alexis' turn to ask.

"That's it. Now, you should all go home and rest." Doctor Walden suggested "She'll probably be a handful for another couple days or so, since the antibiotics are likely to cause vomiting."  
"Thank you, Doctor Walden." Rick said.

"Yes, thank you." Kate completed.

"My pleasure."

…

Kate woke up later on the next night, only to see Rick wasn't sleeping next to her. She slowly got up from the bed and left the room to look for him. She looked in the study, in the kitchen and in the living room and saw no sign of Rick. She started going up the stairs, assuming he was either getting something from Alexis' room or trying to find a long lost book or piece of clutter.

"Castle?" She called. She didn't see him, but she could hear the soft sound of his voice coming out of Quinn's nursery.

She pushed the door slowly and entered the nursery quietly. There he was. Sitting on Quinn's glider, with the sleeping little girl on his lap. Quinn's recent trip to the ER had hit him pretty hard. All of them, but Rick especially. He was with her more often, and he felt guilty, for not being able to prevent it, and for not being around when she was taken to the hospital. No matter how many times they told him it wasn't his fault. He felt terrible, and nothing could make it better.

"Baby face, don't grow so fast, make a special wish, that will always last. Rub this magic lantern, he will make your dreams come true, for you. Ride the rainbow to the other side, catch a falling star and then take a ride. To the river that sings and the clover that brings good luck to you, it's all true. Pink elephants and lemonade, dear Jessie hear the laughter running through the love parade. Candy kisses and a sunny day, dear Jessie see the roses raining on the love parade." He sang.

"If the land of make believe is inside your heart, it will never leave. There's a golden gate where the fairies all wait and dancing moons, for you. Close your eyes and you'll be there, where the mermaids sing as they comb their hair. Like a fountain of gold you can never grow old, where dreams are made, your love parade." Kate sang, continuing the song. Rick looked up to her and smiled.

"Your dreams are made inside the love parade. It's a holiday inside the love parade. On the merry-go-round of lovers and white turtle doves. Leprechauns floating by, this is your lullaby, sugarplum fingertips kissing your honey lips. Close your eyes, sleepy head, is it time for your bed. Never forget what I said, hang on you're already there." He sang, one more time.

"Close your eyes and you'll be there, where the mermaids sing as they comb their hair. Like a fountain of gold you can never grow old where dreams are made, your love parade." Kate finished. She walked towards the glider and took Quinn off Rick's arms. She placed the little girl on the crib and walked back to Rick. She sat on his lap, which was something she never did, but knew he loved. "Come on, Rick. You have to sleep."

"I can't leave her alone, Kate." He said, his eyes pleading.

"Yes, you can. And you're going to." She got up from the glider and took Rick's hand. "Let's go to bed, Castle. She'll be okay."

"I…"

"Say goodnight." She demanded.

He walked to Quinn's crib and planted a kiss on her forehead "Goodnight, little bunny." He took Kate's hand and they walked out of the nursery, together. And as one, they continued their lives.

**Author's Note: So, did you like it? Please leave a review with your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks! **


	12. In Our Lives

**Author's Note: I am officially raising this story's rating to a big fat M. You'll see the reason right in the end of this chapter. Please enjoy! **

Ps. I know. I'm bipolar. No chapters in almost a week and now two in three days? I promise I'll try to be more consistent. Thanks for sticking with me in spite of all that.

Chapter 12: The Life

It was the morning of December eighteen. Kate and Rick were about to start Christmas shopping, and that's why Quinn had a very special pair of sitters.

"Hey, dad!" Kate gave Jim a warm hug. They were standing on the doorway, Jim and Martha standing side-by-side and Kate facing them. Rick was in the kitchen feeding Quinn. "Hi, Martha! Nice to see you."

"Hello, dear. It's been a while." Martha said. The elderly woman was wearing a long green dress, a polka-dotted blazer, and black pumps. She was quite the sight, especially if you considered her red-hair and the fact that pretty much everyone else in NYC only wore black, grey and navy blue.

"It has been a while. Come in." Kate said, gesturing for Jim and Martha to enter the loft.

Rick finally felt secure enough to leave Quinn with someone else other than him or Kate. Now, almost three weeks after her health scare, he finally gave in. "Hello, mother. Hi, Jim." He said, but didn't walk towards them. He was still trying to make Quinn eat some kind of gooey orange baby food.

"We're gonna get going. We have a lot to do and not a lot of time." Kate told them.

"Okay. You can go and have fun. We'll watch the little one." Martha said, running a hand through Quinn's hair.

"Goodbye, guys. And thank you." Rick said to Martha and Jim, while grabbing Kate's hand. They so rarely were alone. Even for one afternoon of forced gift buying, it was great. Being with her, in every little situation, every small thing, it was enough to make him happy. She was enough to make him happy. Not Kate alone, but his family as a whole. The women in his life drove him absolutely crazy, but he loved them oh-so-much.

"Bye." Martha said. Quinn waved to them, as Jim picked her up from the highchair. He wasn't with Quinn often, certainly not often enough, but the two of them shared an inexplicable bond. Perhaps it was the things they loved about each other, perhaps it was fate, but of one thing Kate was sure. No matter what happened, Quinn would never be alone again.

…

"What about this?" Rick and Kate were at the Women's section at Neiman Marcus trying to find a gift for Martha. Rick was trying to convince Kate to just buy anything and let Martha return it later, but Kate refused to let such thing happen. No, they'd choose every single gift carefully, even if that took them the entire day.

Kate looked at the blazer Rick was holding. It was a horrid shade of yellow, and it had pelicans printed all over. The buttons were big, lime green. It was, hands down, the most awful-looking blazer she'd ever seen.

"You can't be serious, Castle." She said. "That is awful. Keep looking."

"Despot."

"What did you just call me?" She asked, even though she'd heard what he said.

"Nothing. How about this one?" Rick held up a gorgeous emerald-colored dress. It was a floor-length, sparkly, beautiful dress. Kate immediately knew that was the one. It would match Martha's hair perfectly.

"Wow, that is gorgeous." She touched the dress' soft fabric. "I think it's the one."

"Great. Let's pay." He said.

"Okay, okay." The two of them walked towards the cashier to pay for the dress.

…

"Quinn, get back here!" Jim yelled. He and Martha were running after the little girl for almost fifteen minutes, and he was sure they'd never catch her.

"Noooooo! Run!" Quinn yelled, still running.

"Quinn!" Martha yelled. Suddenly, she remembered one of Rick's tips to calm her down. Singing. "How about we sing a song?"

"Song?" Quinn asked, stopping just before she collided on Martha's legs. "Nana sing?"

"Yes, nana will sing." Jim said, giving Martha a glance.

"And Pop will sing too!" Martha said. She knew Jim hated to sing.

"No, Nana will sing by herself. Pop doesn't sing." He denied.

"Pop sing too!" Quinn began to run again, this time faster.

"Okay, okay. Pop will sing too." Jim gave in. it was the lesser of two evils, after all. he was way too old to run after a toddler for that long.

"Yay!" Quinn clapped. She ran to the couch and sat, as if waiting for her private concert.

"What are we gonna sing?" Martha asked Jim.

"I have no clue. You said we'd sing, you choose the song." He hissed.

"Fine. 'Horse with no name'?"

"Whatever."

"Start, start!" Quinn yelled.

"On the first part of the journey, I was looking at all the life." Martha began. She elbowed Jim so that he'd join her.

"There were plants and birds and rocks and things. There was sand and hills and rings. The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz. And the sky with no clouds. The heat was hot and the ground was dry, but the air was full of sound." They sang. "I've been through the desert on a horse with no name, it felt good to be out of the rain. In the desert you can remember your name, 'cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain, la, la, la, la, da, la."

…

"Finally." Rick said, as they left Barnes and Noble, where they bought most of the gifts. Mystery novels for Alexis, fishing books for Jim, Dr. Seuss collections for Quinn, and so on.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't so bad. And the dress we got for Martha is gorgeous, isn't it?" Kate said.

Suddenly, Rick pulled her into an embrace. "No. You are gorgeous." He said, on the crook of her neck. He kissed her slowly, while they embraced sloppily. It wasn't the easiest of tasks, kissing someone while carrying dozens of bags.

"Mmm." She murmured. "I wish we could extend that day." She said.

"Perhaps we could." He said.

"We shouldn't."

"Yes, we should. I'm gonna call my mother. I'm sure she'll love the idea, she loves babysitting Quinn." He said, while rubbing the back of her neck. It was her soft spot. She had no way of saying to when he did that. He picked up his phone and dialed Martha's number. "Hello, mother." He said.

"_Hi, Richard. Are you on your way?" _Martha asked.

"Well, I wanted to ask you a favor. Do you think you guys could handle Quinn for the night? We were thinking about getting a hotel room."

Martha sighed. She wouldn't say no, she couldn't. But she had long lost the hang of children, and babysitting Quinn was harder than Rick thought. "Yeah, sure." She answered.

"Thank you, thank you, and thank you. We appreciate it, really."

"Yeah, yeah." Martha said.

"Bye." He said. He then looked at Kate and said "We're clear."

"Great." She said.

…

"Hey, Jim?" Martha asked. He was sitting on the living room couch, with Quinn on his lap, watching 'Tangled'.

"Yeah?"

"We're in for the night."

"What?"

"Yeah, Richard just called. Asked if we could keep her so that they could have a night alone." She explained.

"And you couldn't say no." He concluded.

"Yeah. But if you wanna go, it's fine."

"No, I'll stay."

"Sure?"

"Yes. We should order something. Quinn's starting to get hungry, and frankly, I am too."

"Is Chinese okay?"

"Perfect." He answered.

…

**Author's Note: I hope you liked the scene, this chapter, and please keep reading and reviewing. I LOVE reviews. Thanks! **


	13. Jingle Bell Rock

Chapter 13: A Christmas Tale

"Mommy. Mommy." Quinn patted Kate's stomach softly. "Daddy. Daddy." She patted Rick's stomach now.

"Hey, pumpkin." Rick gave Quinn a sloppy hug. "What's up?" he asked.

"Cissmas, daddy. Gifts!" Quinn said, in a high-pitched voice. She was incredibly excited about Christmas. Being less than a year old on her first Christmas, she hadn't really had the chance to enjoy anything. But Christmas at the Castle household was always a huge thing. There were a million gifts, a lot of cookies, and party clothes. Alexis was coming, Jim, Martha, Lanie, Esposito and the Ryan family too. Rick had planned an amazing, yet intimate bash, and everyone was excited.

"Oh, that's right. It's time for gifts!" He said. "Kate. It's Christmas morning."  
"Mm." She opened her eyes slowly. "Hey, Quinn. Merry Christmas." She ran one of her hands through Quinn's hair. She turned around and planted a soft kiss on Rick's lips "Merry Christmas to you too, Castle."

With his signature smirk, he said "Merry Christmas." He sat on the bed and pulled Quinn to his lap. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Gifts?" Quinn asked. She pouted, in order to convince Rick to let her open the gifts first.

"Breakfast first." He said. He got up from the bed, holding Quinn bluntly.

"Daddy!" She giggled.  
"Ahhh! Breakfast first!" He yelled, and ran with Quinn under his arm. She loved when he carried her that way.

"Ahh. No sleeping in on holidays anymore." Kate said.

…

"Meh-y Cissmas, Nana! Meh-y Cissmas, Pop!" Quinn said. She was standing next to Rick at the door, greeting the guests as they arrived. She was wearing a long-sleeved navy blue velvet dress, with a small satin white sash, white tights and red patent Mary-Janes. Her outfit matched Kate's, who was wearing an elbow-sleeved peplum navy dress. Her black pumps dissipated the height difference between her and Rick, and she looked absolutely amazing. Rick too, matched them. His suit was black, but the shirt he wore was navy.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart." Jim said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Quinn!" Martha said.

Quinn smiled at her grandparents, but had already lost interest in them. She walked over to where Lanie and Esposito were sitting. Only Alexis, Jenny, and Kevin hadn't arrived.

"Uncle Javi, get me a ceh-y?" Quinn asked. She still couldn't pronounce R's, and H's were also hard. But she was finally starting to make sense.

"Sure, doll. I'll get you a bowl of cherries." Esposito said, getting up from the couch and directing himself to the kitchen to get the little girl the fruit.

"Aunt Lanie, we need to talk." Quinn said, her tone serious. She was now sitting next to Lanie, swinging her legs back and forth.

Lanie held back a chuckle. Was Quinn really trying to have a serious, grown-up conversation with her? "Okay. What's going on?"

"You and uncle Javi need to kiss." Quinn said, still serious.

"What?!" Lanie spitted half the water she was drinking.

"Yes. Kiss and hug."

"You mean like your mommy and daddy?"

"Yes. You and uncle Javi are nice. Nice people should kiss and hug."  
"Okay, sweetie. We'll see about that." Lanie said. "Now, I think uncle Kev and Aunt Jenny have just arrived. Why don't you go and say hi?"

"Okay. Nice talk, aunt Lanie."

"Sure was." Lanie said, with a chuckle. She was such a Castle.

"Hi, uncle Kev! Hey aunt Jenny!"

"Hello, cutie! How are you?" Jenny asked.

"Fine." She said.

"Hi, Jenny. Hey, Ryan." Kate suddenly appeared behind Quinn. "Wow, Jenny. You are…"

"Huge? A cow? Big like a house?" Jenny trying to finish her sentence. She was almost eight months pregnant, and she surely was huge. But no, Kate was not going to say that. At least not with those words.

"No! You look great!" Kate said.

"Okay, okay. Now, can I sit? My feet hurt." Jenny asked.

"Sure. Right there." Kate gestured towards the place where everyone was sitting. "And Ryan, you can leave the gifts under the tree." Kate looked at the present-filled tree. There was absolutely no more room. "Well, you can put them near the tree."

"Thanks, Beckett."  
"Okay, who's ready for food?" Rick asked.  
"Castle, Alexis is not here yet. We should wait."  
"Oh no, she just called. One of her friends decided to throw an impromptu Christmas party, and she's gonna be there for a while. She's coming by later."

"Okay, then. Let's go to the dining room."

…

The dinner went by nicely, and the group had just gathered on the living room to open the gifts. Alexis had arrived just in time for dessert, and was now talking to Lanie about something medical and gross.

"Ready?" Rick asked. When everyone nodded, he started passing out the gifts. "Lanie." They had agreed to wait while everyone opened their gifts. It was Rick's idea, so that the party would be a lot longer.

"Okay, what is it?" Lanie read the to-from tag. "From Quinn?" she proceeded to unwrap the gift "The Medical Encyclopedia: a Guide to (Almost) Every Disease" Lanie read "Thank you. That's exactly what I wanted." She told Quinn.

"This one's for… Jenny." Rick passed her the gift.

Jenny unwrapped the small package, which held two bodysuits. "My Mom is Hotter Than Your Mom." She read. "Think I'm Cute? You Should See My Mom." She laughed "Thanks, Javi. I can always use an ego-boost."

"Anytime."

"Okay, this one's for Espo."

Javier took the package and shook it. "What is it? A DVD?" He opened the gift "M.A.S.H, the complete series." He smiled "Thanks, Castle."

"You're welcome. This is for Martha. And this one's for Jim." He passed them their gifts.

"Gorgeous!" Martha said, holding up the dress they'd got her. "Thank you, Kate." She said.

"Hey, I helped her choose." Rick said.

"He did." Kate assured.

"Okay. Jim, what did you get?" Martha asked.

"Ultimate Fishing Adventures: 100 Extraordinary Fishing Experiences Around the World" He answered, holding the book they gave him.

"Awesome…" Martha mocked.

"Okay, now. Only Kevin, Alexis, Kate, Quinn and I didn't get gifts. This one is for the redhead."

"Thanks, dad." Alexis said. "Hookups & Hangovers: A Journal, Hangover Cures, 50 Ways to Cure a Hangover, The Hangover Survival Guide…" Alexis read. Everyone laughed, except for Quinn, who understood nothing. "Dad, what do you think I'm doing in college?"

"I'm just saying, better safe than sorry. Kate, this one is yours." Rick passed Kate a small, but heavy, box.

"Thank you." Kate opened the gift "A Kindle? Thanks, Castle!" She gave him a quick kiss.

"Not only that, but it's already loaded with your favorites. Hammett, Fitzgerald, Dickens…" He pointed his thumbs at him "and this guy!" The group laughed again. "Now it's Quinn's turn. Here you go, bunny."

Quinn unwrapped the gift as fast as she could. "A ticycle! Thanks mommy!" She hugged Kate, who was sitting on the floor "Thanks daddy!" She hugged Rick.

"You're welcome. Now, it's daddy's turn. Wanna give him his gift?" Kate asked.

"Yes. Here, daddy."

"Thank you." Rick opened the box, which revealed a small remote, a button, and a flash drive. "I think I need an explanation." He said.

"It's a laser trap. The flash drive contains the program for you to define the circuit. The button is an emergency button, in case you need all the lasers to shut down. And the remote turns the lasers on and off." Kate explained.

"Best. Gift. Ever." He said. "Now, I think we should all name the best thing that happened to us this year. Kind of like thanksgiving."  
"Okay, I'll start." Jenny said. "Even though I'm cranky, tired, huge, and a complete mess, the best thing that happened to me this year was, hands down, this pregnancy."

"You can skip me. She already said it all." Kevin said. They clapped and Lanie indicated that she wanted to go next.

"Best thing that happened to me this year was that I'm now speaking to my father. We had our differences and we both made mistakes, but we are family, and that's all that matters."

"My turn." Esposito said. "This year was a bit… troubled. But I'm back to good terms with Ryan, my best friend and partner, and that's the best thing, for any year." Esposito said.

"Thanks, man."

"Okay, I'll go now." Martha said. "Aside from having an amazing new granddaughter, I also got the main role in an upcoming movie, one based on a book I love. I'm very excited."

"Can I?" Jim asked.

"Go ahead." Rick said.

"The best thing that happened to me this year was Katie's happiness." He looked at Kate. "She finally made peace with the world and herself, and raised a family. Certainly, in a very odd way, but that's how she does it." Tears started forming in the corners of Kate's eyes.

"Thank you, dad." She said. "Best thing that happened to me this year was, of course, Quinn. The path that led us here was rather difficult, but it was unbelievably worth it."

"Okay, I'm next." Alexis said. "The best thing that happened to me this year was going to college. No offense, dad, but being on my own, at least partially, has made me grow a lot. The experiences, the friends… It has been great, and I'm so blessed to have this opportunity."

"And last but not least…" Kate said "It's your turn, Castle."

"Okay. This year, I lost a family. Mother and Alexis went their own ways, and I felt… abandoned. But before I could really suffer, the love of my life showed up at my doorstep." He said. "And Kate, it would've been the best thing in this year, but we got something else. Together." He continued. "Quinn. People say I helped you, but that's not the only truth. You helped me too, baby girl. You helped me grow as a man, as a person, and most importantly, as a father. And you helped me realize that, your mother is my real love. Never was I doubtful, but now I couldn't be more sure. She's the one." He looked at Kate and got down on one knee "Kate, will you marry me and make this the best thing to happen to me this year?"

**Author's Note: Christmas, Castle style! So, did you like it? I hope so! Please leave a review to state your thoughts. They are what keeps me writing! **


	14. I Do

Chapter 14: I Do

"Yes." Kate said, helping him get up from the ground. "Yes, I'll marry you." She kissed him softly. Since her mother had died, she hadn't felt complete. Something was always missing. But right now, right there, she felt complete. She felt full, loved.

"We're getting married." Rick said, still holding her by the waist. Surprisingly, she didn't look uncomfortable. She didn't try to make him take a step back, or tried to remove his arms. She just accepted the gesture and let him hold her. She felt safe in his arms, even though she'd never admit to that.

"We are." She said.

"Richard, the ring." Martha said. Kate had helped him off the ground before he could slip the ring through her finger.

"Oh, right." Rick slipped the two-carat ring through her finger. She recognized it instantly. It was a Tiffany ring, the most famous of them all. Her mother used to call it the ring of rings. Johanna Beckett was a dreamer. It was one of the characteristics Kate admired the most about her. She dreamed big. Not only for herself, but she had dreams for everyone. Especially for Kate. And in one of the rare moments when they talked about weddings and marriage, Johanna had told her that she was sure Kate's one and done would give her that ring. God, how could she be right? How was that even possible?

"Wow. It's gorgeous." Kate said, her voice breaking.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked, squeezing her hand.

"Nothing. It's perfect." She said. She kissed him again, this time more passionately. She didn't care if everyone was staring at them. She didn't care about anything. In that moment, they were alone.

"Congratulations!" Jenny yelled. She walked towards Kate, slowly. She hugged her warmly. Her stomach pressing over Kate's.

"Thanks, Jenny." Kate said.

"Oh my God, girl!" It was Lanie's turn to give her a smothering hug. "Let me see the ring!" Lanie held the hand Kate offered her. Her mouth dropped open at the moment she saw it. The ring was easily the most beautiful one she'd ever seen. "How many carats?" She asked Rick, still not letting go of Kate's hand.

"Two." He answered.

"Congratulations, Richard." Jim said, giving Rick a hug. "She's a keeper."

"Thank you. And I know." He said.

"Dad, Kate! Congratulations!" Alexis said, giving the two of them a sloppy hug. "This is so awesome!"

"Thanks, pumpkin."

"Yeah, thanks Alexis. It means a lot that you're on board with this." Kate said.

"Congratulations, Beckett." Kevin said. "And Castle, watch your moves."

"Yes." Esposito chimed in. "You better take care of her."  
"I will." Rick said.

"Thanks, boys."

"Mommy! Daddy!" They heard Quinn scream, as she ran towards them. "Congats!"

"Thanks, baby," Kate said, picking her up.

"You happy?" Rick asked, even though he was fairly sure she was too young to understand what was happening.

"Yes. A lot, a lot." She answered.

"Me too, baby. Me too." Kate said, planting a kiss on her hair and giving Rick a warm look. "Very happy."

…

"Okay, you two." Kate said, to Rick and Quinn, who were sitting on the living room floor coloring. "I'm leaving. See you guys later."

"Kate?" Rick called.

"What?"

"The ring." He said. There was no way she could chase or interrogate suspects wearing a thirty five thousand dollar ring. Aside from the danger of getting mugged or losing the ring, she could hurt someone, or even herself.

"Shit." She looked at the ring on her finger. "What am I gonna do?"

"The necklace. Put it alongside your mother's."

"Right. Okay." She took off the necklace and slipped the ring through it. It made a 'ting' sound as it hit her mother's ring. "I'm going now. Bye."

"Bye, mommy." Quinn said, waving at Kate.

"Bye, love." Rick said.

"Bye." The two of them watched as she left and closed the door behind her.

"Daddy, why don't you police?" Quinn asked.

"Why don't I what?" He asked.

"Police. Like mommy, uncle Javi and uncle Kev."

"Oh. I used to work with them. I wasn't a policeman, but I used to help them."

"Why you stop?" she asked.

"'Cause I decided to stay home to take care of you, munchkin."

"You liked policing?" Quinn asked, and Rick chuckled at the fact that Quinn thought "police" was a verb.

"I did. But I like staying with you." He said, ruffling her hair.

"You can police. I'll be alone. I'm a big girl." She said, without stopping the coloring.

"Okay, then. We'll see about that."

"I wanna police, daddy. Use pow-pow's."  
"Why don't you tell mommy that? I'm sure she's gonna be very proud." He said.

"I will."

…

"Daddy, where ah we going?" Quinn asked, from the backseat. She was sitting on her car seat, looking at the window.

"To pick up mommy so that we can have lunch." He answered.

"We going to police house?" She asked, excited.

"Yes, we're going to the precinct." He answered.

_Would you know my name, if I saw you in heaven? Will you be the same, if I saw you in heaven? I must be strong, and carry on, 'cause I know I don't belong, here in Heaven._

"Would you hold my hand, if I saw you in Heaven? Would you help me stand, if I saw you in Heaven?" Quinn sang.

"Do you like that song, baby?" Rick asked.

"Shh. No talking with music." She reprehended "Through night and day, 'cause I know I just can't stay, here in Heaven…" She continued.

"Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees. Time can break your heart, have you begging please. Begging please." Rick joined her. He loved how she had good taste in music. It was only something else for them to bond over. "Okay, here we are." He said. He got out of the car and opened the backdoor. He pulled Quinn off her seat. As they walked towards the door, a loud sound echoed through the parking lot. It was a gunshot, Rick could so easily recognize it. His whole life raced through his mind on that moment. As he wrapped his arms tightly around Quinn's body and threw himself on the ground, he had no idea of what would happen. He only prayed that they would come out alive.

**Author's Note: Soooooo. Watcha think? Is it good? Bad? Please, leave a review! **

**Ps. Before you go, would you please weight in on something? I'm thinking about adding a few precinct-set scenes to that story. I have something in my mind that I'd love to write, but I want to know if you all rather I keep this all fluffy. What's your opinion? Please let me know!**

**Ps. II. I'm sorry this was a short chapter, I just thought it'd be too cruel to leave you guys hanging after the proposal. **


	15. Broken

Chapter 15: Broken

**Author's Note: I was not going to post this until Monday night, but I didn't want to be cruel. Was the gunshot too much? I hope not! Read on, awesome readers! There's a lot to be processed. **

No. This can't be the end. It's too soon. He needs to keep going. He has to. Rick feels Quinn's warm body pressing against his. As he crawls over to the back of a pillar, he does his best to keep his little girl safe. If, god forbid, this is his ending, it shall not be hers. It can't. She's just a little kid. She doesn't fucking deserve this. She's just a child.

"Call for backup." He heard Kate say. He could hear steps, lots of them, racing through the parking lot. It seemed like an eternity. He wanted to call for Kate. He wanted to let her know they were there. He wanted her to help them. But he couldn't. He tried to speak, but his voice wouldn't come out. Quinn's muffled sobs filled his ears, and he could feel the moisture on his shirt thanks to her tears.

"Daddy…" Quinn cried. When Rick looked down to look at her face, he saw blood. Lots of blood.

"Baby, are you hurt?" He asked, whispering. His voice finally came out.

"No. Daddy, your leg." She said. He still held her close, hugging her tight. He looked at his leg. It had hit him. He had gotten shot. Shit. He could feel it now. The burning pain. Oh my god, how it hurt.

"Clear the area." Kate said. "Look around to see if there are any victims."

"Kate!" He yelled as loud as he could. "Kate!"

"Castle?" She yelled. Her heart was beating so fast she could barely breathe. What was he doing there? Why exactly then? Thoughts of worse case scenarios flooded her mind as she called his name through the empty parking lot. "Castle!"

"Here!" He said, stretching his arm from behind the pillar.

Her heart stopped in the second she saw the small pool of blood next to where he was. She ran as fast as she could, but the world seemed to be turning in a slower speed. Her feet couldn't run fast enough, and she couldn't think.

"Oh my god." She said, as soon as she saw them. Lord, Quinn was there too. What had she done to deserve this? She kneeled down to look at the wound. It physically hurt her to see him in pain. As she observed every inch of Quinn's body to make sure the little girl wasn't hurt, she heard someone call her name.

"Beckett!" Esposito called.  
"Espo, call an ambulance. And Lanie."

"Why, what happened?" He asked, running towards the place where she was kneeled.

"Just do it! Now!" She demanded.

"Okay."

The moments that followed were the longest of their lives. Not more than a couple of minutes, but it sure felt like hours.

"Kate!" Lanie yelled.

"Here!" Kate yelled back.

"Who's hurt?" She asked, before she could see Rick or Quinn.

"Castle is. But that's not why I called you. The ambulance is coming, I called you to take Quinn away from here." Kate said, without releasing Rick's hand or untightening the vice-like grip she had on Quinn.

"But, Castle…"

"I'm okay, Lanie." Rick assured her. "The ambulance is coming, I'm gonna be fine. But she doesn't need to see this. Please."

"Okay. Call me as soon as you know anything. About the case or anything else, okay?"

"We will." Kate said. She looked at Quinn and told her "You're gonna go with auntie Lanie, okay?"

"No. Stay with you and daddy." Quinn said. "Daddy hurt."  
"Baby, daddy's gonna be fine. You need to go, okay? We're gonna pick you up later."

"No!" Quinn yelled.

"Lanie, please take her." Kate pleaded, holding the little girl above her head.

"No!" She yelled again, as Lanie grabbed her and walked away "No!"

Tears formed on Kate's eyes as she watched Lanie and Quinn leave the parking lot. She was so damn young. What else would she have to overcome?

"Kate…" Rick said, his voice breaking.

"Rick, no!" She said, as she grabbed his head before it hit the ground. "Rick, stay with me!" She yelled. Tears flowed freely through her face, as she placed Rick's head on her lap. No. He wouldn't leave her. He couldn't. Ambulance sirens echoed through the room, but she didn't move. The world had stopped.

…

"Kate!" Martha called, from the end of the hallway. Alexis was walking behind her, her face red and puffy.

"Martha!" She said, giving the older woman a hug.

"How's he?" Alexis asked.  
"He's stable. He lost a lot of blood, but he's okay." Tears started forming in her eyes "He's gonna be okay." She said, between sobs.

"Oh, sweetie." Martha hugged Kate tighter. She wasn't as calm as she appeared to be. Inside, she was practically dying. But she knew that right then, she had to be strong for her loved ones. "How's Quinn?"

"She's okay. Last time I spoke to Lanie she had eaten and was watching a movie. I don't think she understands what happened."

"WHAT happened?" Alexis asked, harshly.

"We don't know yet. However, we do think the person was trying to hurt your dad. It wasn't a random attack."

"You better find him." Alexis said, and left their side.

"Oh my god. She blames me." Kate said.

"No, Kate, she doesn't." Martha said, maintaining an assuring hand on her shoulder "Her father just got shot. She's upset. Give her some time."

"Miss Beckett?" A nurse called.

"That's me." She said.

"Mr. Castle is awake. He's asking for you."

"Thank you." She looked at Martha "I'll be back with news, okay?"

"Okay."

She walked through the cold, lonely halls until she reached Rick's room. She opened the door to Rick's room, and slowly entered the unit.

"Hi." She said.

"Hey." He answered, giving her a slight smile.

"You seem fine." She said, grabbing his left hand.

"Aside from my leg" he gestures towards the bruised leg "I'm okay."

"That's great."  
"How's our girl?" He asked.

"She's fine. Too young to understand, I guess."

"Kate. It's not your fault." He said, apparently reading her mind.

"Castle…"

"No. I don't want to hear. It's not your fault, period."

"Okay."

"Now, do you think you can smuggle in something better than Jell-O? I'm dying here." He joked.

"I'll give it a try." She answered, with a chuckle. "I'm gonna tell your mother and Alexis to come in, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"See you later." She planted a soft kiss on his lips. "Bye."

"Bye."

…

"Hi, Lanie." Kate gave the petite woman a hug. "Thanks for staying with her." She said, giving the little girl sleeping on the couch a look.

"You don't have to thank me. You know I love babysitting." Lanie said "Now, tell me. What's going on? How's Castle?"

"He's okay. He lost a lot of blood, but they sutured his leg and he's okay. Not in pain or anything."

"And what happened? Who fired the shot?"

"We don't know yet, but we're betting it was personal. There's still a lot to look into."

"Okay. Keep me posted, will you?"

"Yeah, sure. Now, I should get going. It's really late and I want to get everything ready for when Castle gets home tomorrow. Help me pick her up?"

"Mhm." Lanie and Kate made a great deal of effort to place Quinn on Kate's arms without waking her up.

"Thanks again, Lanie."

"Anytime." Lanie said, opening the front door.

"Bye." Kate stepped out of the apartment, with Quinn asleep on her arms. Her steps were slow, but not calm. There was not a hint of calmness in her body. She would find out what happened in that parking lot, and soon.  
"Mommy?" Quinn said, startled. "Where ah we?"

"We're going home, baby girl."

"Daddy?" The little girl cried "Is he gone?"

"No! Quinn, daddy's gonna be fine. He just got a really big boo-boo and had to stay in the boo-boo place for a little bit. He's going home tomorrow, okay?"

"Not the woods?" She asked, which made Kate remember the story Rick had told her about what happened to her parents. It involved her two bear parents heading to the woods, leaving a baby Quinn on Kate's care.

"No, not the woods. He's going home. We all are."  
"Okay." She said, and buried her face on Kate's shirt to go back to sleep.

…

**Author's Note: Thanks everyone! Especially those of you who reviewed, you have my utter respect and pride. I have yet to decide what's going to happen on the next few chapters, but now that I have an idea of what you want, I have a solid funding to work with. Thank you so much for reading, following, favoriting, and especially, reviewing. It makes my work so rewarding to know you're enjoying this. Please let me know what your thought and suggestions are, and never ever forget, I'm nothing without you. Thanks! **


	16. The Foe

Chapter 16: The Foe

**Author's Note: I am SO sorry it took me so long to update. This chapter spent the entire week sitting on my desktop, half-written, and I just couldn't finish it. Mainly, due to the fact that my story is not making to first page on the Castle archive, meaning I'm getting very little new readers. Because let's be honest, no one goes to page thirty-eight to look for a story. It's making me seriously upset. I've sent e-mails, tweets, everything, and the problem is just not solved. The only solution I can think of is wrapping this story up and starting a sequel. But for now, I'm going to continue with this one, and see how everything goes. Thanks everyone who has been reading, reviewing and following this story. You are the best!**

"Espo, what do you have on the license plates?" Kate asked, entering the room where Esposito and Kevin were working. It had been a day since Rick got shot, and she was back at work and ready to find out who tried to hurt her family.

"Yeah, the car belongs to a Michael Harris, a sixty-year-old realtor from the Upper East Side. We spoke to him, and he said that all of his kids have access to car. So does his wife. He's home recovering from an ulcer, and hasn't left the house since last week. Doorman confirmed it. He's out."

"How about the kids and the wife?" She asked.

"Wife is out of the country. He has five children. Jackson, thirty-five." He pointed to a picture on the white board. "No records. Lives about twenty miles from his parents' house, and has a solid alibi."

"Which is…"

"His wife was giving birth yesterday at the time. He hasn't left her side since." Esposito answered "Second brother is Alan, thirty-two. Also no records, was seen at a restaurant with his daughter at the time."

"Crap."

"William, the third son, is thirty. He has a record on drug possession and drunk driving, but also has an alibi." Esposito said "He's been in rehab for the past couple of months."

"Robert, the younger son, has no record and is a cop in New Jersey." Kevin said "He was working at the time."

"So that leaves us with the fifth son. Who is he?" Kate asked.

"It's a daughter." Kevin pinned her picture on the board "Robert's twenty-eight year old twin sister, Elisabeth. Now this one…" he said "has a record."

"Disturbance, breaking into some old boyfriends' homes, drug abuse, illegal gun possession…" Esposito said.  
"Good god. She's been busy." Kate commented.

"She has. We're bringing her in."

"Stop! Let me go! I'm suing you!" They hear a woman scream. Elisabeth Harris, they assumed.

"Detectives." A young-looking cop said. "I'm taking her to the interrogation room. After that, this delightful young lady is all yours."

"Thank you, Finn." Esposito said.

The young man nodded and left the room, taking Elisabeth Harris with him. She was a tall, blue-eyed blonde, and could easily be mistaken for a model. In fact, Kate was sure she'd saw her somewhere, so maybe she was a model. A pretty crappy one, but still. She walked towards the interrogation room and slowly entered it.

"Miss Harris, I need to ask you a few questions." Kate said, pulling one of the red plastic chairs on the interrogation room and sitting down. The woman didn't move or said anything, so Kate began "Where were you on the afternoon of December 27th?"

"Out." Elisabeth answered, rudely.

"Out? Okay. Were you with somebody else?"

"Some friends."

"Okay, Miss Harris, I need you to be specific. And don't mess with me if you don't want to spend the night in jail."

"I don't know where, but I was with Colin."

"I'm gonna need his number."

"835-4076"

Kate got up from the chair and left the room.

…

"Hey Ryan, did you call Colin?"

"Beckett, I'm afraid she might just have given you some random number. This cellphone belongs to Anna Marshall, an eighty year old lady from Brooklyn."

"Shit. I'm gonna give her one last chance, and after that I'm done and she's arrested."

Kate walked towards the interrogation room where Elisabeth had been since earlier and entered it.

"Do you think I'm kidding?" Kate asked.

"It sure looks like so."

"I'm gonna give you one last chance to give me a number, before I throw you in jail and search your phone myself."

"Fine. Her name is Jenna. Jenna Andrews. She was with me all day."

"I need her number."

"I don't have it, you took my phone. But I know that she works at an insurance company on the 8th street."

…

"Hi, we need to speak to Jenna Andrews." Kate said to the young secretary on the main hall of Bern, Hall and Johnson Insurances.

"I'm sorry, Miss Andrews is busy right now."

Kate pulled her badge from out of her jacket and showed it to the secretary. "Now."

"I'm going to call her."

"No. Just tell us where it is."

"First door on the left."

Kate and Esposito walked towards the door and knocked.

"NYPD, open up." Esposito said.

The petite blonde woman opened the door, and Kate could see the panic on her face.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Miss Andrews, we need to ask you a few questions." Kate said.

"Yeah, sure. Come in." Jenna said, gesturing towards the small office.

"Miss Andrews, where were you on the afternoon of December 27th?"

"I went to lunch with a friend. Then I got back here."

"This friend was Elisabeth Harris?"

"Yes. We're not really friends, we just happen to know the same people. She called me and asked me to meet her at some restaurant. I was free, so I went."

"Uh-huh. And what happened?"

"She was completely wasted. I told her that wasn't my thing, and left. We were together for fifteen minutes, tops. But why do you ask?"

"She's a suspect in a shooting investigation." Esposito answered.

"Oh God." Jenna exclaimed.

"You said it wasn't your thing. What isn't?"

"Round drinking." Noticing the puzzled looks on their faces, Jenna explained "It's a drinking game where you have six different drinks an hour, for twenty four hours."

"What?" Kate asked.

"Pretty stupid if you ask me, but it's becoming very popular."

"Okay, so can anyone confirm the time you left and when you came back?"

"Yes, Zoey, the secretary. But we also have surveillance cameras."

"Okay, thank you Miss Andrews."

"Detective?"

"Yes?"

"Can you… keep me posted?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thanks."

…

"Beckett." Kate heard a voice call.

"Yeah?"

"Elisabeth Harris' lawyer is asking for you. He says she wants to talk."

"Okay, thanks Eddie."

Kate walked to the IR and entered it.

"Speak."

"What are you offering?"

"How about nothing at all?"

Kevin entered the room as soon as he heard Kate say that.

"It depends on what she's going to say." Kevin offered.

"We'll take eight years."

"Try twenty, no parole."

"Detective Beckett, there are no victims. I ask you to be rational."

"No victims?!" Kate yelled "She shot a man, almost shot a child. Are you kidding me?"

"Detective Beckett." Gates said, opening the door. "I need you to step outside. Now."

"I'm fine, captain."

"It's not an option, detective. Detective Esposito is going to continue." Gates said "Now, detective."

Kate marched out of the room, trading places with Esposito. She took a place next to Gates behind the glass.

"I dated Richard Castle a couple of years ago." Elisabeth started "We went out for a while, but after it ended, I never truly got over him." She continued "And when I read something about him and his new family on the news, all of those feelings came back."

"And so she shot him?" Kate shouted, even though no one could hear her.

"And a few days ago, I got really drunk. I was walking around the neighborhood when I saw him. He looked so happy, and that sweet little girl on the backseat… So I snapped. I followed him, and fired the gun."

"Where did you even get a gun?"

"I bought it the night before. I got stoned and was feeling paranoid. I didn't take it off my purse."

"Elisabeth Harris, you are under arrest." Esposito said, handcuffing her. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in court."

**Author's Note: This is my least favorite chapter so far. Seriously, I'm not digging it. But I'd really like to know your opinion on it, so please leave a review!**


	17. Shiny Happy People

Chapter 17: Shiny Happy People

"I can't believe this." Rick said, looking at Kate. They were sitting in one of the couches on the living room, and the only light coming was the one from the moon. It was well past one in the morning, and Quinn had been asleep for a long time. "It was my fault." He said, his voice breaking. "Quinn went through this because of me."

"No, Castle. We're not playing the blame game, okay?" She said, running a hand through his hair. "It was not your fault."

"I think I heard Quinn crying." He said, getting up from the couch.

"Castle…"

"No, Kate. It's fine. I'm gonna check up on Quinn. We should go to bed."

Kate watched as he walked towards the staircase and went up, still limping. The shot had been superficial, but enough to cause pain regardless. She picked up her phone from the coffee table and quickly dialed Alexis' number.

"_Hello." _Kate heard Alexis say, with a sleepy voice. Not surprising, but she hoped Alexis would understand.

"Hi Alexis, it's me."

"Kate. Has something happened?" Alexis was suddenly awake and fully aware.

"Actually, yes. Everything is fine now, your dad is okay, and Quinn seems to be totally absorbed in her toddler world to understand anything, thank god.

"Great. So, why did you call?"

"I think your dad needs some cheering up. I have something in mind, but I want you to come, so I need your opinion."

"Shoot. No. Scratch that. Tell me."

Kate chuckled "Okay, so, I know how much of a child he is, and I have a week off from work. So I was thinking…"

…

"Come on, Castle!" Kate yelled. She was standing next to the door, with Quinn on her arms. There was luggage all around her, something that Rick had insisted. Since the destination was a surprise, he was sure to pack everything. And by everything, he meant everything. From swim trucks to parkas and flashlights to jewelry.

"Coming!" He said "This would be SO much easier if you just told me where we're going."

"No way. Now pick up this, this and that." She said, pointing to some pieces of luggage.

"Mommy, we sing a song?"

"Sure, baby. Wanna sing the travel song I taught you?"

"Yes."

"Okay. You can start." Kate said, pushing the elevator button.

"You got a fast cah. I want a ticket to anywheh, maybe we make a deal. Maybe together we can get somewheh, anyplace is better. Starting from zero got nothing to lose, maybe we'll make something. But me myself I got nothing to poove." Quinn sang, happily.

"You got a fast car, and I got a plan to get us out of here, I been working at the convenience store. Managed to save just a little bit of money. We won't have to drive too far, just 'cross the border and into the city, you and I can both get jobs, and finally see what it means to be living." Kate joined her.

…

"Kate!" Alexis called.

"Alexis, hi!" Kate said, giving the young woman a hug.

"Hey dad." She said "How are you? How's your leg?" It had been a week since the shooting, and Rick looked the same as ever. There was a tiny scar, but no one could see it unless they were actually looking for it.

"It's good. I'm good. Pumpkin, what are you doing here? I thought you had exams."

"Yeah. I got the early ones with the advanced class in order to participate in this family getaway. Happy to see me?"

"You know it."

"Flight number 695 to Orlando. First class travelers may start boarding now."

"Come on, that's us." Kate said.

"We're going to Orlando?"

"Disney!" Quinn yelled. She was now on Alexis' arms, playing with her hair. It had surprised Kate how she had actually managed to keep the secret.

"Seriously?" He asked.

"I know. I'm that awesome." Kate said, walking towards the gate.

…

They arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge a little after three pm. There was no delay in the flight, and Quinn was surprisingly calm during the entire duration. Kate had downloaded a few episodes of Dora for her to watch on the notebook, and Alexis was happy to sit with her on a different row, and let the little girl sit on the window. She eventually slept, and the trip was as smooth as could be.

"Wow." Rick exclaimed, looking around at the resort's lobby. It was absolutely gorgeous, and the African-styled decoration was stunning. There was a huge wooden statue, which fascinated not only Rick, but also Quinn. "It's gorgeous."

"It's much more beautiful than in the pictures." Kate said.

"Miss Beckett, here are your room keys. Enjoy your stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge."

"Thank you." She said, smiling.

The four of them walked to the elevator, Rick and Kate carrying luggage and Alexis carrying Quinn.

"Mommy, we play today?"

"Not today, Quinnie. But tomorrow we're gonna see the princesses!"

"Yay!"

"What's your favorite princess, Quinn?" Alexis asked.

"Mulan." Quinn answered, without hesitating. Mulan had been her favorite movie since she was old enough to understand what a movie was, and she watched it at least once a day. It drove them crazy, but it made Quinn happy, so they did it anyway.

"Mulan is not really a princess." Rick said.

"She is." Quinn argued.

"Not really. She wasn't born to the royalty and she did not marry any prince either, therefore, she can't be a princess."

"Castle, are you serious?" Kate asked "You are seriously arguing with a two-year old about Mulan's lack of title?"

"Mulan is pincess."

"No…" Rick said, just as Kate elbowed him.

"That's a good choice, baby girl. She's a very strong girl." Kate said.

"She fights." Quinn said "Stong pincess."

"Just like you, munchkin." Kate said, tickling the little girl's belly. Since welcoming Quinn into her life, she had become much more affectionate. Not only towards Quinn, but everybody else as well. Needless to say, Rick was the one who appreciated the change the most.

"After you, ladies." Rick said, opening the room's door.

Kate's jaw dropped as she entered the room. The pictures she'd seen made the room no justice, it had a huge bead, with an amazing wooden headboard. The bedding was colorful and whimsical, and the view… simply stunning. She had asked for a double room with a Savannah view, but she had no idea it would be this gorgeous.

"It's sooo pity!" Quinn said, Alexis had just set her down, and she was currently trying to climb a chair.

"It really is." Alexis said. "We'll get the adjacent bedroom, is that okay?"

"No, it's cool." Kate said.

The two of them watched as Alexis carried Quinn to the next room, and Rick wrapped his arms around Kate's waist.

"Kate, thank you. This is amazing, I really needed this."

"My pleasure." She said, kissing him softly "Now let's see if we can manage to sleep for a couple of hours. I bet that in no time at all, Quinn will run to us asking if we can take her to the pool."

"Sure thing. Do we have a park schedule?"

"Yes. Magic Kingdom tomorrow, Animal Kingdom on Friday, Sea World Saturday, Epcot Center on Sunday, and the Universal Parks on Monday."

"Do you really think we can tackle both the Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios on the same day?"

"That is the most boring conversation I've ever had. Come on, let's go to bed."

**Author's Note: I've wanted to write something like this for a while now, and I'm glad I finally did. I hope you enjoyed this 100% fluffy chapter! The next two or so will also be set in Disneyworld, and if you have any tips, please let me know. It's been almost a year since I've been there, so my mind is a little blurry. Thanks! **


	18. Here's To Us

**Author's Note: Hey there, ya'll! I just wanted to say this chapter may not be all that great. I wanted to give you a new chapter today, but there's so much going on. Last Friday was graduation day for me, and while we still have a bunch of tests, we're done with classes. My awesome, entirely made of friends, class is over. I cried for a couple of hours this morning and I'm a serious mess. I'm also moving to Canada in January, so that's something else I have to do, aside from studying for all of my finals. It's getting pretty hectic, but you shall not be affected. Read on, my pretties. I hope you enjoy this. **

Chapter 18: Here's To Us

"Castle. Castle, wake up." Kate said, shaking Rick slowly.

"No. We're on vacation." He whined.

"Rick, get up, now! We need to get there early if we want to get something done." She said.

"Ahm." He murmured "It's Disney. It's happy at any time."

"And crowded too. Come on, let's go." She said, pulling the covers away from him. Yes, it was Florida. But it was early January and the weather was far from hot.

"Daddy, Daddy!" They heard Quinn yell, entering their suite. She was looking adorable in her white shorts, polka-dotted shirt and Minnie Mouse ears. Kate suspected Alexis had chosen the outfit, considering it actually matched, something Quinn hadn't yet accomplished. "Go! Dumbo! Play! Ice-keem! Fast!" She shouted, all at once. She was still not very good at making sense, but they had mastered the art of figuring out what she meant.

"Okay, you rugrat. Slow down a bit. Have you had breakfast?" Rick asked, pulling her to the bed.

"No. Not hungry. Play." She said, shaking her head. Her curls bobbed up and down.

"Nope. That's not how we roll. Mommy will get you something to eat while I get ready, okay? Then we can go."

"No!" Quinn yelled "No! Not hungry! No! Play!" She yelled, even louder. She was kicking furiously.

"Quinn, stop that. We'll play in a little bit, but you have to eat first." Kate reprehended. Quinn had been throwing quite a share of tantrums recently, something they attributed to the upcoming terrible two's.

"No!" Quinn yelled. Rick was holding her as hard as possible without holding her. He was obviously afraid she would hurt herself, since the kicking could eventually lead to her falling off the bed, or worse, kicking something breakable.

"Quinn!" Kate said, in a harsh tone. "Enough. This behavior is bad. You're getting a time out." She said.

"What?" Quinn asked, suddenly calm. "I soee."  
"I'm sure you are, but you'll still have a time out." Kate said, picking the little girl up. "Come on." She said, carrying her out of the suite. Rick knew she hated doing this, but he also knew she was smart enough to know this was in Quinn's best interest.

…

"We're here!" Rick said, as soon as he could see the Magic Kingdom's entrance. He was pushing Quinn's travel stroller, something they had recently acquired. It was far from Rick's taste, considering it was a simple black stroller with two handlebars – something he knew was unpractical. "It's Disney, sugarplum!" He said, talking to Quinn. Kate and Alexis were walking side-by-side, completely excluding him from the conversation. It didn't make him upset, really. He always like children better than adults. When he didn't get a response from Quinn, he looked down to look inside the stroller. "She's asleep!" He exclaimed.

"She's been asleep for a while, dad."

"Crap." He said "Quinn. Quinn, baby. We're here. You need to wake up."

"No, daddy. I tied." Quinn said, groggily.

"No, look! It's Cinderella's castle!" He said, pointing at the huge structure.

"Daddy! Castle! So pity!" She shouted, suddenly awake. "Go, go!" She demanded, pointing at the castle.

"You excited, Quinn?" Kate asked, even though she knew the answer was an obvious yes.

"Yes! Pincess!"

"Did you know they can make you a princess too?" Alexis asked, referring to the service offered by the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. They had special packages, with princess dresses, hairdos, and makeup.

"Really?" Quinn asked, surprised "Can I, mommy? Peeeease." She asked, combining the subtle beg with her best puppy dog look.

"Yes. You'll be the prettiest of princesses." Kate said.

"No. Mulan." Quinn said "I second." She completed.

…

"Hi! Do you guys want a picture?" A photographer with a name tag that read _George _asked them. They were leaving Cinderella's Castle, a princess dressed Quinn walking hand-in-hand with Rick.

"Yes! We take pictue!" Quinn said.

"Oh, wow! What a gorgeous princess!" George said "What's your name, my lady?"

"Quinn." Quinn answered, with a large smile. She could not believe the photographer thought she was a real princess.

"Okay, Princess Quinn. Go over there with your mommy and daddy so I can take a picture." He said, pointing towards a spot right in the middle of the crowd.

"My sister too." Quinn said. She gestured for him to kneel down "She's a pincess too." Quinn whispered in his ear "She's wearing a costume."

"Oh. Okay. What's her name?" George asked, still performing.

"Lessis."

"Okay, now can you all say 'cheese'?" He asked.

"Cheese!" The four of them said, in unison.

"You can buy your picture at the central building. Thank you!" He said, smiling at them.

"Thanks." Kate said. "Where are we going now?"

"_It's a Small World._" Rick answered.

…

"This is awful." Kate said, within the first minute of the kiddie ride.

"It's not so bad. Plus, I'm sure Quinn loves it." He said "Quinn?" he asked. As he looked at his side to look at her, he saw she was completely asleep. "Unbelievable."

"I bet she's having a great time." Kate mocked.

"How come we take at least an hour to put her down at home, but at a theme park she falls asleep everywhere?"

"I have no idea. But now we're stuck in this for a while." Kate said, lying her head on his shoulder "I'll take some advantage of it as well."

"It's a world of laughter, a world or tears, it's a world of hopes, it's a world of fear, there's so much that we share, that its time we're aware, it's a small world after all" they heard, as the little boat made its way through the attraction "it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small, small world" the song continued "There is just one moon and one golden sun. And a smile means friendship to everyone. Though the mountains divide. And the oceans are wide. It's a small small world."

**Author's Note: I wanted to say a special thank you to CastleCrazie, who wrote NINE glowing reviews for this today. They gave me the little pick-me-up I needed after some events that took place this past week, and I could finally finish writing this chapter. And I loved the story about your sons at Disney! Too cute! I was also extremely happy to know someone who experienced adoption before was touched by my story. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not doing it right, not pushing the right buttons. Knowing you enjoyed it was a treat. Thanks! **


	19. Dream a Little Dream of Me

Chapter 19: Dream a Little Dream of Me

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I thought I'd let you know this is the penultimate chapter of this little story. It's been a great ride and I'll write my final note to you (on this story, of course) on the finale, on Sunday. So stay tuned, please take this opportunity to leave your last reviews and thank you all so much!**

It was a little after ten AM on a sunny January day when they arrived at the Universal Islands of Adventure. Most of them were absolutely tired and beyond ready to go home, but Rick was incredibly excited about the Harry Potter attractions. Surely, Quinn wouldn't be able to go in most of them, but he was happy enough riding alone while his girls waited for him outside.

"Mommy, look!" Quinn yelled, pointing at a huge hat in the middle of Seuss Land. Kate knew it would be sure to please Quinn, considering Dr. Seuss' books were her favorites. "Cat in the hat!"

"Yes, it's the cat in the hat." Rick said, without any enthusiasm whatsoever. He was going to stupid kid rides for days now, and while he loved showing Quinn Disneyworld, he hoped his day would be his turn to have fun. Noticing the tone in his voice, Kate said  
"Castle, why don't you and Alexis go and see the Harry Potter stuff? We'll meet in a while." She offered.

"Thank you, thank you, a million times thank you." He said.

"Yeah, yeah." She said "Come on, Quinn. Let's see the cat in the hat."

…

"Castle, where are you?" Kate asked, over the phone. She was sitting in a restaurant, Quinn sleeping on her lap. It was almost five o'clock in the afternoon, and they hadn't seen one another all day. Kate had taken Quinn to the Caro-Seuss-el, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, The High in The Sky Train Ride, watched "Oh, the stories you'll hear!" and finally stopped at the Seuss Landing Dining for a drink and some rest. They'd been there for the last hour or so, and still hadn't heard from Rick.

"We're leaving Honeydukes." He said, referring to the famous candy shop.

"Still?" She asked, surprised "Can we meet back at the hotel? Quinn needs a nap and frankly, so do I. You stay and finish seeing everything and then we can all have dinner together."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. See you later."

…

Rick and Alexis arrived at the hotel at around eight pm, after buying every single Harry Potter bauble they could find. They were tired, cranky, but incredibly happy.

"I'm gonna go to bed, dad. Thanks for today." Alexis said, setting down a few shopping bags.

"Okay, pumpkin. Have a nice night." He said, planting a kiss on her forehead. "And don't forget, we leave tomorrow at nine."

"Okay. I'll get some beauty sleep now."

Rick waited until Alexis entered the suite she was sharing with Quinn before walking to his. He expected to see Kate asleep, and was surprised to see she was in bed reading.

"Hey gorgeous."

"Hi. How was your day?" She asked. She had a tired look on her face, but still looked so peaceful. That was the way he liked her the most. Messy, relaxed, and so calm.

"Good. I'm sorry we separated. We should have stayed together."

"Not at all. We all managed to have fun, and that's what really matters."

"I guess." He said, removing his clothes "Kate, I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything. Being a great mom, the best fiancé in the planet, and for this trip. I really did need a break. So thanks."

"My pleasure." She said, averting her eyes from him and getting back to her book.

"What are you reading?"

"Soul of The Fire." She answered.

"Really? I love this series." He said, surprised. He never thought she was one for epic novels, especially not sword-and-magic ones.

"I never knew that."

"I do. Perhaps we are made for each other after all."

"You know I don't buy that."

"I know. But let me, okay?"

"Okay. Now let's sleep. We have a long day tomorrow."

…

"Quinn, you have to wake up. We're going home." Kate said, running her hand through the little girl's hair. It was almost seven am, and they had to be in the airport by eight. Even though everything was ready, Quinn was not an early riser and hated the idea of getting out of bed before nine. "Come on, baby."

"No, mommy. Sleep." Quinn whined.

"Sorry baby, but we have to go. We're gonna see the big planes, and maybe even get you a new coloring book. Now get up, princess."

"But mommy…"

"No, no. Let's go."

"Pick me up?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, you big baby." Kate lifted the little girl from the bed, carrying her in a lying position.

"We eat?"

"Yeah, we're going to eat. Want a pop tart?" Kate asked, walking to the mini-kitchen.

"Mhm."

They ate a quick breakfast before going to the airport, with Quinn occasionally complaining about her sleepiness. So much like Rick. They arrived at the Orlando International Airport a few minutes before eight. After checking in, they proceeded to wait at the first class lounge.

"Mommy, why go home?"

"What do you, bunny?"

"We have fun here. Why go home?"

"Well, don't you have fun at home? With daddy ?"

"Yes. But no pincesses at home."

"Aw, there's always you, my little princess." Rick said, tickling Quinn's belly.

"Stop, daddy!" She yelled, laughing.

"Rick, did you remember buying her the princess shoes?"

"Yes."

"And the princess dress?"

"Mhm."

"The tiara?"

"Yes, everything. I like spoiling her too."  
"That's not spoiling."

"Whatever you say, love."

"Daddy, my hands sticky."

"What?"

"Yes. Sticky, dity."

"Oh, dirty. Come on, I'll take you to wash them."

"You want me to?" Kate asked.

"No, it's cool." Rick picked Quinn up and headed to the bathroom.

"Daddy, my Minnie!" Quinn said, after dropping her Minnie Mouse toy.

As soon as Rick spotted the toy and walked towards it to pick it up, an elderly lady showed up and picked it up. She gave the toy to Quinn, smiling at them.

"What do you say, Quinn?"  
"Thank you." Quinn said, giving the elderly woman a slight smile.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." She said. "Congratulations, your daughter is gorgeous." She continued, now addressing Rick.

"Thank you."

"She has your eyes. Just gorgeous."

"Thanks."

The elderly lady nodded and walked away, leaving the two of them. And as Rick walked towards the bathroom, Rick couldn't help but smile at the fact that she thought Quinn and him looked alike.

**Author's Note: Meh. Review, please?**


	20. This Is Not The End, My Darling

Chapter 20: This Is Not The End, My Darling

**Author's Note: So, this is it! At least for now, anyway. A sequel, entitled Seasons in The Sun, is in the works and it's set to be published later this week (it could be tonight, or Friday, it's all about editing). I really hope you enjoyed this story, I am very, very grateful for each and every single one of you, for helping me, guiding me, and supporting me. I have the most incredible readers in the planet, and I hope you liked this as much as I do. Sometimes, when things got hard, it was amazing to know I could come home and write, and I'd have you all here. It takes a remarkable group of people to make a change. Thank you all so much. Love, Mariana. **

The phone rang early in the morning of January 14. No one was yet up, given that Rick and Quinn didn't get up that early and Kate had the day off.

"Bloody hell." Rick said, rolling off the bed "Castle," he said, forgetting that he was answering the house phone.

"Mr. Castle, this is Edward Davenport. I need to speak to detective Beckett." The man said, his voice raspy. He didn't sound sleepy or nervous in any way, which was odd considering it was five am on a Monday.

"Is it urgent? She's still asleep, perhaps you can call later."

"It's about Quinn."

_It's about Quinn _echoed in Rick's mind. Oh no. He walked fast towards Kate's side of the bed, in order to wake her up. "Kate. Kate." He called, applying some pressure on her shoulder.

"Castle. Stop that, I want to sleep." Kate murmured.

"Kate, you need to get up. Edward Davenport is on the phone. He wants to talk to you."

"Tell him to call later."

"He says it's about Quinn."

Kate's reaction to the utter of those words was quite similar to Rick's. The sudden attention, the racing of the heart, the fear taking over her body.

"This is Beckett."

"Detective Beckett, we need to speak. How about I meet the three of you at eight?"

"The three of us?"

"Yes. Quinn needs to come with."

Kate could barely breathe. No. it couldn't be. She couldn't handle the idea of losing Quinn. And why should she? Madison left. Quinn was hers. Why was this happening? What did he want?

"Why? What's wrong?" Kate asked, nervously.

"We can talk soon, detective. We can meet at the Starbucks on Columbus." He said "See you at eight."

Kate's face went blank. In three hours, she would meet with someone who apparently, had important information about her daughter. Shit.

…

"Do you see him?" Rick asked. It was almost eight, but they'd been there since seven. Quinn was asleep in Rick's arms, her face buried in his chest.

"No, Castle, I don't." Kate answered.

"Detective. Mr. Castle." Edward Davenport said, suddenly appearing behind them. "Hello."

"Hi. What happened?" Kate asked, without any hesitation. She needed to know, and she needed to know now.

"You're pretty straightforward, aren't you?"  
"Mr. Davenport." Rick reprehended.

"Here. I need you to read this." He said, handing Kate a document.

_Based on the DNA analysis, the alleged father, Edward Davenport, cannot be excluded as the biological father of the child, Quinn Richards, because they share the same genetic markers. The probability of the stated relationship is indicated below, as compared to an untested, unrelated person of the same ethnicity._

"What does that mean?" Kate asked, almost yelling. Tears started forming in her eyes, just as she read the document, word for word. "Cannot be excluded" she thought.

"This means she's my daughter, not William's. Therefore, I will claim parental rights."

"What?" Rick asked, tightening his grip around Quinn's body.

"She's mine." He said. "Give her to me."

"No. I don't believe you." Kate said, protectively running a hand through Quinn's back. "We'll call a lawyer."

"You can call whomever you want, detective."

"Allow me, then." Kate said, getting up from the chair and looking up the number of an old friend, who was pre-law with her. She was Kate's lawyer for a while now, and a dear friend. While they were both too busy to spend a lot of time together, they had a nice friendship and enjoyed each other's company. "Hey, Anna? I need your help."

…

"Kate!" Anna called, from the other side of the café. Somehow, she managed to get there in less than fifteen minutes, knowing the importance of the situation. "Hello." She said, offering Edward a hand "Anna Williams-Paul."

"Edward Davenport." He said, shaking her hand.

"Mind if I take a look on that?" She said, pointing to the document on the table.

"Be my guest."

Anna read the letter slowly, digesting every single bit of information. "It's legitimate." She said, her face suddenly sad. "I'm sorry, Kate."

"Oh my god." Kate said. Her face was completely wet from the tears that rolled freely down her face, and she hadn't ever felt so lost. Not even when her mother died, she felt so hopeless. "Please don't."

"Mr. Castle, my daughter." He asked, petulantly.

"No!" Kate yelled, just as he took Quinn from Rick's arms. "My baby!" she yelled. Rick was now holding her as tight as he could. He had never felt so hopeless either.

…

It was January 17, three days after Edward took Quinn. They both had used all of their resources to get her back, but you can't fight DNA. Kate hadn't showed up at work ever since, but they were all aware. Rick was doing his best to hold strong, but he was starting to feel weaker by the second. His phone rang and he was surprised to see it was from the precinct.

"Castle,"

"Castle, it's Ryan. We have news on Madison's case."

"Wait. I'll put you on speaker." He walked to their bedroom and set the phone on speaker, without telling Kate anything.

"We have some new leads." Kevin said.

"Leads on what?" Kate asked.

"Madison's case."

"How? It's a closed case, she killed herself, end of story."

"It might not be that simple. We have leads that indicate that she was in fact, murdered."

"We'll be there in half an hour." Kate said, jumping off the bed. Rick too, went to get dressed.

"Um, Beckett ?" Kevin called "Castle?"

…

"Ryan!" Kate called, walking inside the 12th precinct. "What do you got?"

"You know they said it was a suicide because they thought she OD'd on sleeping pills?"

"Of course."

"Well, Lanie found traces of prussic acid on her toxicological screen." Kevin said "That's some kind of poison. We believe she was poisoned."

"By who?"

"Well, that's what we don't know. I thought you might be able to help us on that." Kevin took a letter from a drawer. "We found this page on her diary. It says she believed someone poisoned her husband, and she was next."

"Why did she think that?" Kate asked. That made no sense to her. She thought Billy died of some heart-related disease, but she really wasn't sure. Now that she stopped to think about it, he was a pretty important guy. A long-time diplomat, who had traveled the world defending all kinds of polemic causes. It did make sense that someone that important could be the target of such thing.

"It doesn't say. It just says this."

"Who did she think it was?" Asking that, Kate couldn't help but pray. Not that she usually did so, but right then, she wished that it wasn't anyone who had any contact with Quinn. No one who could ever, by any means, hurt her.

"I don't know. We couldn't find anything." Kevin said, almost lamenting.

"Let me see this." Kate asked, taking the diary off Kevin's hands. A small note fell from the hardcover journal. She kneeled down to pick it up.

_Be careful. _

_E.D. _

"Who's E.D.?" Kevin asked.

"Edward Davenport." Kate said, her voice breaking. "The guy who has my daughter.

**Author's Note: I do hope you're a fan of twists. Stay tuned for "Seasons in The Sun" (which I hope you'll read), and please leave a review. And worry not, despite all of this, TLLOM/SIS are still mostly fluffy stories. **

**Ps. In case you do forget about the new story, I'm gonna pester you all and leave a note, right here, as soon as Seasons In The Sun is up. Thanks! **


	21. Note

Author's Note: Hey, guys. This is no real chapter, just a note to let you all know that Seasons In The Sun is up. Please follow that for closure in this, and some more fun. Thanks!


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